Sliding Glass Doors
by Betty the Bonita
Summary: This is going to be a VERY A/U UB fic based on the movie Sliding Doors, The Butterfly Effect, Family Man, and of course on the Million Dollar Smile episode. I mainly want to show how one small change in Betty's timing sends her into a whole new world!
1. Chapter 1 The Meet Cute

_Sliding Glass Door_

_Chapter 1: _ The Meet Cute

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any part of any of the characters on Ugly Betty, nor do I have any rights to the movies I have used for inspiration: Sliding Doors, The Butterfly Effect, Family Man, It's a Wonderful Life, or The Adjustment Bureau. I'm only an aspiring fiction writer/teacher, so I have no money for anyone to take if they sued me.

_How do I describe this? Hopefully, by my use of Betty's internal dialogue, you will be able to follow along. You're all very smart readers. It will help immensely if you have seen any or preferably all of the movies I referenced. Although Sliding Doors and Butterfly Effect are the first two movies I thought of when I hit on this idea, I think it's going to actually seem to follow more along the lines of Family Man or It's A Wonderful Life in many ways, and The Adjustment Bureau in a way, too (and obviously you know The Million Dollar Smile-that will definitely come into play soon!). You'll See...(hopefully, it'll all work itself out in the end.) _

_PS-This is my first trip into the AU world, so please review (but be kind and gentle, I'm an AU virgin!)_

Betty was rushing to get ready for her first day of work at Mode magazine. She had not been told exactly what time to arrive, but she knew she needed to fill out her new hire packet with human resources before she started.

She also knew she wanted to introduce herself to her new boss and hit the ground running in helping him in any way she could, since he was new, too. So, she allowed herself an extra hour from what she had been originally thinking.

Justin was rubbing his eyes sleepily as she quietly crept down the stairs so she wouldn't wake Hilda or her papi.

She knew her papi would want to give her home cooking, but she didn't have time for a big family send off, she just was anxious to get started.

"STOP! Aunt Betty, I love you, but WHAT is that _hideous_  
thing you have on?"

She looked down at her Guadelejara poncho. "I saw a girl at my interview wearing a poncho, so, I thought..."

Justin grabbed her and pulled her very forcefully back up the stairs for such a young, small kid, she thought.

"Justin, what? Come on, honey, I want to get started."

"Yeah, well, as your fashion advisor in this family and the only one in this house with good taste, I can NOT in good conscience let you enter the house of Mode wearing that. I'd die of shame if anyone knew we were related."

"Justin! Don't you think you're being a little overdramatic, honey? I think it looks nice." she looked at her poncho, smiling.

Justin was going through her closet so fast it was making her head swim, "You really have to let me go shopping with you more, Aunt B. Here! Finally, the one thing I helped you buy.

I'll go through mom's bigger sizes when I get home from school, but this is the best of what you have right now. Wear this.

It's not high fashion, but at least it doesn't make my eyes bleed. I'm sure you'll get swag once you've been at Mode for a while."

"Swag? What's that?"

He rolled his eyes as if she were a child, "We don't have time now, AB, just put this on and put THAT thing outside or something!" he looked at the poncho with distaste.

She sighed, knowing he wouldn't leave her alone on this. If there was one thing her nephew was adamant about, it was fashion. She shrugged, wishing she could have just snuck out without him stopping her.

Damn! She thought, if only I had left five minutes sooner, he wouldn't have been up. Well, there was no use fighting him.

"All right, Justin. I guess you know this stuff. It looks really boring to me. I think I actually got this for a funeral."

"Yes, but you can never go wrong with basic black. Here, try these shoes of mom's. They'll give you a little height.

But definitely look in The Closet on your lunch break or something and get some Minolo's if they'll let you sign them out."

She grinned as she shut the door to change, shaking her head at his knowledge, "You sound like you're speaking a foreign language to me, Justin.

I guess you'll have to teach me some of this stuff. But, I don't really expect or even want to be a fashionista or anything. I just want to do a good job here so I can move onto other Meade publications."

He rolled his eyes from the other side of her door, "I know, I know! You want to own your own magazine someday. But you have to at least put some effort into how you present yourself, AB.

Would you buy a magazine if it was just a plain brown cover with no idea what you were going to read about? That's what fashion does.

It's like the cover of your own personal magazine. It tells people what's inside. Right now, I don't think many people would want to read yours. So, let me see..."

Betty stepped out, wearing a black dress that showed way more cleavage than she was used to, but not really a lot by most people's standards.

The dress fit her well, and was actually very flattering to her figure, but she felt like she needed a scarf or something to cover up the cleavage.

She had heard of Daniel Mead's reputation and she certainly didn't want him thinking she was 'that kind of girl'. She was his assistant, and she was there to help him do his job, period.

He was kind of decent looking, she had to admit, but she was determined she would only see him as a person who she would work for, in order to get that much closer to her own dreams.

Besides, he clearly knew he was good looking and was a total player. Things she neither knew about nor wanted to know. She smiled, thinking of Walter.

She fished frantically through her drawers and found a red silk scarf.

She tried to look for tights, but Justin saw her and said, "NO! Your legs look great. No tights! Listen, I know you want to get going, but we seriously need to talk when you get home today. Let me know how it goes. Good luck, AB!"

"Thanks for your help, Justin! I love you!"

She smiled, and as he saw her braces, he couldn't help but cringe. Better fashion could only go so far, he realized. But at least he had saved her from wearing that hideous poncho!

She just caught the subway, before the doors closed, sighing as she looked at her watch. Good, she still was going to be plenty early.

In fact, she should get there before eight, so maybe she would go introduce herself to her new boss before she did her paperwork, if they would let her.

She saw a pretty blonde at the reception desk who looked at her strangely. Betty smiled at her, "Hello, my name is Betty Suarez. I'm new here.

I still have to complete all my paperwork downstairs, but I just wanted to introduce myself to my boss. Is Daniel Mead in yet? I'm his new assistant."

"You!" The girl looked her up and down, and especially cringed when Betty smiled at her again and she noticed the braces. "I suppose you have a lot of experience? What are you, forty?" she made no attempt not to sneer.

She had wanted the job as Daniel's assistant. Who's crazy idea was it to hire this mess, she wondered? Surely not Daniel's. Not after what he had told her last night when they were in bed at at his loft.

Betty was slightly taken aback, "No! I'm only twenty-two. Maybe it's the glasses." she pushed her frames up on her nose, trying not to be self-consious. This girl reminded her a little of her old high school nemesis, Kimmie Keegan.

Amanda sighed, motioning for Betty to follow her, "He's in here, going over his speech. He's kind of nervous. It's sort of his first day, too. So, where have you worked before, what's your name again, Betsy?"

"Oh, no, it's Betty. Actually, other than internships, and part time jobs to pay for college, this is my first real job." she said proudly.

Amanda surveyed her, as she stood outside Daniel's office, "Funny. I was told I didn't have enough experience for the job. He's in there." She sashayed back to the donut, casting Betty a nasty glance, then put her chin on her hands.

Betty took a breath and went to Daniel's desk. He was pacing behind it, reading his note cards out loud to himself, "I wish I were here under different circumstances. I know I have some big ...teeth to fill, I mean shoes. Sorry! Hello! Can I help you?"

Daniel reddened slightly at the teeth remark, but when he turned around to see Betty there with her braces smiling at him, he couldn't help it. He chuckled, wondering who this little girl was and what she was doing in his office.

She stuck out her hand, "Good morning, Mr. Mead. My name is Betty Suarez. I was just hired to be your new assistant.

I haven't been downstairs yet to complete my paperwork with Human Resources, but I just wanted to come and introduce myself to you since we'll be working together and see if there was anything you wanted me to get started on.

I'm really happy for this opportunity and I'm sure you'll find I'm not only a very hard worker, but I have excellent research skills and I can be a great asset here at Mode.

I also wanted to see if you had a schedule or anything. A certain routine you wanted me to follow?"

He had to laugh. Where did SHE come from, he wondered? He realized it must be a joke his father was playing on him after catching him with Charlotte, Charmaine, Charlene? Well, whatever her name was.

Clearly, this girl was all business. Still, she was kind of cute, in a girl scout sort of way. The braces were interesting. And the glasses. Although, he liked glasses.

He smiled, "Yeah, right now, I'm just going over my speech. I'm a little nervous, I guess. Go on down to get your paperwork done, but thanks for letting me know you're here. I will need to find out all you can on Fabia Cosmetics."

Daniel couldn't help but smile as Betty was taking notes furiously as he spoke. She was certainly ambitious, he thought. It was definitely nice to have someone who seemed to actually respect him for a change. He continued,

"Her company is our first big account. If you want to research that, once you get back here. But, right now just have someone tell you where the conference room is as soon as you get done with HR.

I'll meet you in there. Then you can impress me with those research skills of yours, Betty, was it?" he flashed his smile.

She blushed, slightly. Okay, this guy is kind of cute, she thought, and nice. But, focus, Betty. "Thank you, Mr. Mead. I'll meet you in the conference room. Good luck with your speech. I'm sure you'll do great!" There was that smile again!

He smiled back and looked back down at his note cards as Betty ran down to get started on her paperwork. Amanda gave her an evil look as she breezed by. She knew she wasn't going to like this girl!

_Okay, so we're down to a few of the differences already. The big conference is coming up next. Note the LACK of the 'thwap' heard round the room when Betty enters in this new reality. Please review; let me know what you think. _

_Obviously, I'm not going to go back through the whole series, but this first meeting and how it affected hers and Daniel's relationship is mui importante, so I tried to stay true to what was going on around them, just at Betty's new time frame. Remember, Daniel was actually nice to her and polite (Claire brought him up right!), before Phillipe got him off track. But he's next! Maybe the moral of the story so far should be to always be really early on your first day of work!_

_If you like any of my stories and have enjoyed reading them, please don't forget to let me know. I love writing, but it's nice if I know I have readers. Thanks to TM and RF, Kimberly926, Dettyislove, and a few loyal readers who have let me know my writing doesn't totally suck. I really appreciate it! _


	2. Chapter 2 The Slam That Wasn't Heard

_**Sliding Glass Doors**_

**Chapter 2: The Slam That Wasn't Heard **

_This chapter has two very important events. One, the fact that Betty did not have quite the humiliating start to her career at Mode. This will actually turn out to mean more than it might seem at first. _

_Also, she meets her 'fairy godmother/tooth fairy' because of her altered schedule. Otherwise, she doesn't get introduced until the unfortunate Zackary Boule incident, right?_

Betty watched as the elevator doors swished open and a pretty, dark-haired woman in her early forties stepped in. She smiled at Betty's braces, and pointed to her teeth, "How long have you had those?"

"Four months. My family couldn't really afford them when I was younger. I'm working out a payment plan with my orthodontist."

She really didn't know why she felt compelled to share her financial problems with this kind lady, but the woman stuck out her hand.

"My name is Dr. Frankel. I'm actually an orthodontist, too. You know, you might want to come see me and we could talk about getting you switched to invisaligns.

They're much easier to deal with working in a place like Mode, especially. I do payment plans, too. Plus, you should only need to keep them on for two years.

Any longer is not only a waste of your money, but a huge pain for you that is needless. Here, come see me sometime, and we'll talk, Betty." She handed Betty her card, which was shaped like a mouth.

Betty looked at her strangely, feeling as if she was having a déjà vu moment with this woman. "How did you know my name?" she gulped, her eyes wide.

Dr. Frankel laughed and flipped her new Mode ID badge, "Well, I did go to school, I CAN read."

Betty looked down and laughed, feeling silly. "Of course. I forgot. I just feel like I know you from somewhere."

"Who's your ortho right now, if you don't mind me asking? Not that I normally go around poaching patients. I actually have plenty of my own. I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Sometimes I think of myself as a sort of fairy godmother, well a cross between her and the tooth fairy." She chuckled at herself.

Betty laughed, "Oh, I'm seeing Dr. Farkus right now."

Dr. Frankel shuddered, "He's kind of a creepy guy. I've heard he gets hung up on his patients and treats them for much longer than they really need just so well, he can soak them financially, I guess. But so he can leer at them, too.

You should definitely come see me, Betty. Believe me, having invisible braces will change your life, I promise!"

Betty felt like there was an earthquake as the elevator shook a bit.

Dr. Frankel smiled and asked if she was okay.

"Yeah, that was weird. I hope the elevator's not stuck or something. I'm on my way to my first big meeting for my new job. I don't want to be the last one there."

"You won't be." Dr. Frankel just looked at her, "Good luck on your first day, Betty. Let me know if you change your mind about your treatment. I really think I could help you feel more comfortable here."

Betty shrugged and smiled; looking at the amusing card she had been handed. She put it up to her own mouth, "Cool card! Very clever. I like it.

Well, I'll see. Maybe I'll call your office sometime. Thanks, Dr. Frankel. It was nice meeting you."

She left as the door opened. Then she looked back to see the woman smiling knowingly at her and waving. _Wow, she was kind of weird_, Betty thought.

She hurried as she saw people starting to gather in the conference room. She almost went straight into the glass door, but just in time, Daniel put his hand up in front of her,

"Hey, Betty. Watch out! You almost ran right into the door." He smiled and opened the door for her.

He pointed to a vacant chair for her to sit in on the side, and she smiled back at him, hoping he was not as nervous as she was for him. To have to talk in front of all these people? Whew! Better him than her!

She thought he was doing okay, he gave everyone a little intro about coming in to fill Fey Sommers' shoes and he smiled at her when he said that part.

Then, in walked a very commanding woman with her short, curly-haired assistant, right behind her, who well, seemed like her little dog or something, Betty couldn't help thinking.

"Marc! Gift!" He handed Daniel a box with some kind of crystal tulip that said "Danny" on it. Betty knew from the research she had already done on him that he preferred to be called Daniel. It was obvious it was an intentional put down.

Betty watched in shock and dismay as Daniel was humiliated in front of everyone and this woman, Wllhelmina, was it? What a name! It suited her, she thought, well, as she totally took over the meeting.

Betty had never felt sorrier for anyone. She saw Daniel's face. He looked like someone had kicked him in the gut.

She walked over to him and as everyone filed out, she tried to offer him encouragement, "What's her problem? Why was she so terrible to you? I'm sorry, Mr. Meade. I tend to speak my mind too much sometimes."

Daniel shook his head, and tried to figure out what was up with his new quirky little assistant. She was definitely the _**only**_ one who was showing him any respect after that auspicious first meeting, he thought.

He was also glad to have someone to actually share his misgivings about his father placing him in this position in the first place. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"She wanted my job. She's tired of being Creative Director. I think she just assumed she'd get the job and when my dad asked me to do it; she thought I'd turn it down. But, frankly, I can't afford to and my dad knows it."

"You can't afford to? I'm sorry, aren't you rich?" she didn't know how else to say it.

He laughed and led her to the elevator. "Yeah, but I already blew through my trust fund. Surely you've heard what a cad I am, Betty.

It's on the stupid tabloids enough. I suppose you don't waste your time, watching such trash TV, though, huh?" he pictured her reading works of Shakespeare or something highbrow. He could picture her as the type that read Pride and Prejudice.

"My nephew watches Fashion Buzz religiously. My papi watches Telenovellas. I'm partial to reality TV like American Idol. I really miss Sex and The City. My sister and I used to watch it all the time."

He laughed, "So, who are you?"

"Sorry?"

"You know, isn't it supposed to be the thing girls do, pick which of the characters they are most like on that show? I only know, because my uh… brother used to date this girl who mentioned it once."

"Your brother?"

"You know, Alex? The one who died?" he looked upset. She did remember that in her research, but the details were sketchy and she didn't want to pry.

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry. I lost my mom, too. It's hard to lose a family member."

He nodded, wondering why in the hell he had said anything to this girl about Alex. He never talked about his brother's death to anyone.

His family certainly never spoke of it. It had pushed his mom over the edge in her drinking again and made his dad seem even colder towards him, if that were possible.

Perhaps that was why it seemed so important to Daniel to prove to his father that he could be counted on, that he wasn't such a loser, after all.

After that disastrous meeting with Wilhelmina making him look like such an ass, he saw that he desperately needed to find an ally, someone he could trust.

But this little girl? He had his doubts. She was so young and naïve. She might be smart, but she was in shark infested waters here at Mode. Of course, so was he, he now realized more than ever.

"Yeah. Listen, I think we need to hit the ground running, Betty. I've got a meeting with the photographer in a few minutes, so see what you can find out on the Fabia thing for me, okay?"

She smiled, and he seemed to laugh slightly. She couldn't help but feel a bit out of place, already here. What had made her think she could work at a fashion magazine, she thought, suddenly turning red?

Betty could sense Daniel was slightly embarrassed by having been saddled with her. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. She recognized the look. The look of someone trying not to be mean.

He seemed nice enough and even kind to her so far. But she could tell he was disappointed and used to a certain 'type' which she decidedly was not.

Well, she was going to show Mr. Shallow that everything wasn't about appearance. There were certain advantages to having a brain and knowing how to use it, too.

She had understood what Justin was talking about this morning, wanting to make her 'dress for the job she wanted.' She had certainly heard that before.

But, even with the best of fashion sense, which she definitely didn't possess, there was only so much she could do to better her appearance at this point.

Besides, she knew in her heart that she had been given this job for a reason. She needed to shake this place up a little and prove to these walking robots that it was okay to be different. Different could be a very beautiful thing.

The blonde came and leaned over her desk, "Hey, Betsy! Oh, I'm Amanda, by the way. What's the prince got you doing?"

"Fabia Cosmetics. I'm just trying to gather some information for him on it right now."

"I see he's got Philippe in there, now. You know they don't call him the human tripod just because he's a photographer!" She gave a leering grin. Betty made a face.

"We dated for a week. You know there was some drama between him and Daniel over a girlfriend or something. I guess they seem to be over it now, though. Bros before hoes, I guess."

Betty nodded, trying to ignore Amanda's crude comments and she went in to see if Daniel needed lunch.

"No, thanks, but you go ahead."

She started to leave but turned to Philippe and said, "Can I just say, I'm a really big fan of your work! That thing you did with the tiki torches? Amazing! It sort of reminded me of something Hiroshi did two years ago."

Daniel was amused. He leaned against his desk, watching as his diminutive assistant made Philippe red with anger, "I don't know who you think you are, but I would never steal anyone else's work!"

She cowered, "I'm sorry. I'll just go now."

Daniel laughed, thinking he was starting to like this funny girl. She definitely didn't hold back. He sat back down, twirling in his chair.

Philippe was still seething over having been shown up by such a nobody. He gestured in Betty's direction, "What is that, Daniel? I've seen your assistants. She's…"

Daniel shrugged, "My dad hired her. I guess to keep my mind on business. She's alright. She seems competent enough."

He found he was almost baiting Philippe. He couldn't help but find it hilarious that she had cut the egotistical bastard down to size so effortlessly.

She hadn't even meant to, Daniel thought. The girl definitely had a gift.

The photographer sneered, "She's fugly! You need to get rid of her. She's an embarrassment to you, Daniel!"

Now, Daniel was slightly annoyed, "What can I do? I can't just fire her!"

Philippe smiled wickedly, "Make her _want_ to quit, Daniel. Give her impossible tasks. Work her so hard, she runs away."

Daniel bit his lip. Something about that idea didn't seem right. Although, he looked at her out there. She clearly didn't belong here.

Frankly, he was worried how badly she could get hurt if she did stay at Mode too long. Still, being mean to that girl seemed like kicking a puppy.


	3. Chapter 3 Off the Reservation

**Chapter 3: Off the Reservation**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

_No more explanations. You guys are smart enough to figure out what's going on here. This is where we start to veer off onto a different path. Even though we've got a lot of 'parallel' action at first, just like it originally happened, suffice it to say, the further from the initial events that were altered, the bigger the ripples are going to get. Make sense? Hopefully. Hence the whole Butterfly thing!_

* * *

Betty was getting fed up with the stupid things Daniel was making her do. She noticed he mostly gave her these inane tasks when Philippe was around, so she suspected he was the one putting Daniel up to it.

Things like taking the cabbage out of cole slaw! (Duh, just strain it-you pretentious jerk!) who liked to basically drink watery mayonnaise, anyway, she thought?

Then there was walking his huge dog (a Great Dane, maybe? A dog she somehow doubted even belonged to him), shining his shoes, and on and on. It was getting ridiculous!

The one bright spot was a nice Scottish woman she met named Christine. She remembered Justin's advice about The Closet and had found the woman there. Thank God, she was normal and very nice. She listened to Betty tell her all the crazy things Daniel had her doing and shook her head sympathetically.

She seemed to know something and finally she admitted to Betty, "I heard that…Bradford is the one who actually hired you to work for Daniel, Betty."

She was happy to hear it, at first, "Bradford Meade hired me? He knows who I am?" she seemed thrilled at the notion that such an important man would take notice of her. She wondered what he would think of his son's abuse of his power at her expense.

Christine seemed reluctant to continue. Betty furrowed her brow, "What is it?"

"Betty, I'm sorry. It seems, as if Bradford wanted to hire someone he wouldn't worry about his son sleeping with."

Betty took a breath. She'd heard far worse things about her looks before. Her teeth had been so bad before the braces, she had pretty much spent a good portion of time stuffed in her locker, or hiding out from bullies. Life had definitely not been easy for Betty Suarez. Kids were mean to kids who weren't pretty.

Apparently, things hadn't changed as much as she hoped since high school. Even grown men treated a girl like crap if she wasn't pretty to look at. She cringed only slightly, and then squared back her shoulders, to look Christina dead in the eyes, as if it didn't matter. You could barely notice the hint of a glistening in her eyes when she spoke,

"Well, I guess that's just the way this was supposed to happen for me. Not everybody is so lucky. It's fine, Christine. Thanks for letting me know."

She took the dress that Daniel had rudely demanded to the photo shoot.

When she got there, she was somewhat puzzled to see that the shoot seemed to be focused on a car crash.

She knew Philippe had suggested this and since Daniel had previously brushed off her efforts to be more involved with the initial concept she hadn't realized it, but now, she felt she had to say something.

She tried to ask Daniel why they would be using the idea of a car crash so soon after Fabia herself was involved in one.

At first, he ignored her as he had been for most of the week, but suddenly Daniel turned to her with his eyes wide.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, scrambling through her papers to find the report of Fabia having backed her SUV into twelve people about a month earlier.

Daniel yelled at everyone to stop the shoot immediately. He showed the report to Philippe who shrugged, "I was in St, Trope! I had no idea!"

Daniel looked at the photographer suspiciously, wondering if he could be trusted. He suddenly wondered if there was anyone he could trust besides Betty. In spite of him treating her like crap all week, she had come through for him.

He shuddered to think what would have happened had he proceeded with this concept and presented it to Fabia herself. Betty for some reason, was still apologizing to HIM?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Meade, I should have told you about this before. I didn't know what your photo concept was, though, or I would have told you about the accident sooner."

Daniel ran his hands through his spikey hair and shook his head, "For God's sake, Betty, don't keep apologizing, okay? I feel bad enough! I…know I've been treating you like shit all week. And yet, you still saved my ass today. I don't really know why you would bother, but…thanks."

He smiled weakly, feeling like a heel for listening to stupid Philippe in the first place. He felt the worst for keeping her up all night, playing air traffic controller for his bevy of beauties. She must really think he was a total ….

He looked at her with new eyes. When she had first come in earlier, Philippe had even tried to get him to use her as a stand in for one of the missing models. He had to draw the line somewhere, though. He had told Philippe simply that she wouldn't do it.

"Of course not! But she will be angry that you asked and finally quit, so you'll be rid of her, once and for all."

Now, seeing how she had saved him from disaster, he knew, he didn't _want_ to be rid of her. He did, however, want to be rid of Philippe. He accused him outright, "Are YOU in on this with Wilhelmina? Is this about that Melanie deal or whatever still? I thought you said it was water under the bridge? Clearly, it isn't! I can't believe I listened to you! Get out!"

Philippe was yelling at him in French, and as Daniel had him escorted by security, he screamed, "I blame that stupid, ugly, assistant of yours! She thinks she is so damn smart! She doesn't know fashion to save her life! She is ridiculous! She doesn't belong here and you know it!"

Betty put her head down, but was secretly smiling.

Daniel noticed. He walked over to her, and shook her hand, "Can we start over, please? Pretend this week never happened, Betty? I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you."

She smiled and shook his hand, "Thank you, Mr. Meade. Apology accepted."

Daniel leaned down, "Uh, Betty, I think you can call me Daniel."

She smiled, but couldn't help feeling little goose bumps at the vibration of his voice as he had whispered to her.

"Okay, Daniel." She smiled again, shyly, putting her head down and blushing.

They headed back to the office while the photo shoot was being deconstructed. Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, sighing heavily.

"Now, I have no idea what to do! We don't have a photographer, because Philippe is an ass, and we don't have a different concept. Not to mention, we don't have the time to do a re-shoot, even if we did have an idea!"

Betty looked down at her hands nervously. She had tried earlier to show him her idea, gleaned from pictures of her and her mother, but he had rudely dismissed her, saying he didn't have a 'quick moment'.

She figured, all he could do is tell her the same. He seemed humble and repentant enough now.

"Um…Daniel? Did you see my idea? Of course, you didn't."

He remembered now her trying to show him something earlier which he had simply dismissed out of hand, and rather abruptly, he recalled. "Sorry, what was your idea, Betty?"

She 'pitched' him her concept about using mothers and daughters and mentioned her statistics that supported the loyal following of older consumers Fabia had over the years. He smiled, "That's a great idea, Betty. Where is your pitch now?"

She remembered leaving it at home, since she had failed to get him to look at it the day before.

"Home!"

"We need to get it now. There's no time. Where do you live?"

"Queens."

"Queens?"

She nodded.

"Okay, Queens, it is!" He told her to give his driver her address.

She had been heartbroken last night, when Walter had told her he was seeing Gina Gambaro, the neighborhood slut and wanted to break up. She had honestly thought Walter would at least be faithful to her. She was so humiliated and just over men after that. It seemed the world had conspired against her because she didn't 'fit the mold'.

So, now, to have Daniel finally realize how rude he had been and have apologized to her, was a big step in making her feel a little better about herself, at least. Maybe she would never be pretty enough to have a boyfriend.

But, at least she could get her job right. She was proud and happy that Daniel was agreeing to use her idea. She knew it was probably only out of sheer desperation, but she didn't care.

It wasn't how you got something; it was what you did with that opportunity when you did get it.

Once they arrived at her house, she went upstairs to search for the folder. Daniel waited in the doorway.

"Nice place"

"Yeah, we're in between decorators right now."

"Really? Oh…it's a joke."

Suddenly, the door opened and a squirrely looking guy that seemed to have little to no chin peeked in, obviously looking for someone. "Is Betty here? Who are you? Are you her new boyfriend or something?"

Daniel looked at the strange little man, "I'm her boss. Who are you?"

"I'm Walter. Where is she?"

"She's upstairs getting a folder we need for work. Then we're leaving. Do you want me to give her a message for her? Wait, aren't you the one who cheated on her?"

Even though he had been pretending not to listen to Betty all week, he couldn't help but notice how depressed his usual smiling assistant had been the last few days and he overheard her saying something to the seamstress about this Walter guy cheating on her.

"She told YOU that?" Walter seemed jealous.

"Why shouldn't she tell me? I'm her boss. I see her everyday. When she's upset, it affects her work."

Walter seemed frazzled at Daniel having put him on the spot like this. "I….I need to talk to Betty."

"Well, you can't right now. She's on company time. We only stopped here to pick up her idea for a photo shoot, then we have to rush back to the office.

I'm afraid she doesn't have any time to get into something personal. You already cheated on her. You wouldn't want to cause her to lose her job, too, would you?" Daniel found he enjoyed making this little man squirm.

Walter seemed confused, but backed away, "No. Of course not. Well, tell her I need to see her…after she gets off work. Tell her I said I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Daniel nodded, smiling. What a dweeb, he thought! Betty could do so much better than THAT guy! She was cute. He smiled, thinking how he had tried and failed miserably NOT to check her out every now and then.

The braces were uh…juvenile, of course, and the eyebrows needed serious trimming. Her hair was a big mess and those glasses were old and out of date.

And yet, she was still cute, somehow. Her personality shone through all the exterior crap and her smile peeked through the rows of metal.

No, Betty Suarez was a hard girl to keep down, he thought, even with a terrible boss and a cheating, stupid, no-chinned ex-boyfriend. At least, he hoped she considered the guy an ex. Surely, she wouldn't take him back, wondering why he should care about his assistant's love life.

He realized, he had treated her pretty terribly, and yet she had easily forgiven him. Why should Walter be any different? Betty was clearly a very forgiving girl. Very smart, cute, and forgiving. Not a bad combination, really.

He saw Betty coming downstairs holding a folder, "Got it! Let's go."

They both heard a commotion. A pretty, dark-haired girl who looked a little like Betty only older and a young boy, about…twelve or so, Daniel guessed came in, arguing. "I don't care what frickin' Coco Channel says, Justin, do NOT tell me what I can and cannot wear! I like my jewelry. I happen to think I have very good taste!"

They both stopped suddenly, looking at Betty and Daniel standing at the bottom of the stairs. Hilda smiled, "Hey, Betty! Who's this? You replace Walter, already? Good for you, he's cute! Hi, I'm Hilda, Betty's slightly older sister, and this is my son, Justin."

Justin was squealing, "Oh, my God, Mr. Meade, it's an honor to have you in our home! Mom! This is Daniel Meade, Aunt Betty's new boss; don't you ever watch the news?"

Daniel had to laugh. The kid was cute. Well, actually, so was Betty's sister. A little, well, Queens-ish when it came to style or class, maybe, but the girl was definitely hot and she knew it.

Daniel tried not to eye her too much. He stuck out his hand and smiled, "Glad to meet you, Hilda. It seems your son has heard of me, surprisingly."

"Justin watches all the fashion stuff. Sorry, but it just seems like a bunch of girls starving themselves to look like stick figures to me!" Well, it seemed Betty wasn't the only one in her family to be outspoken, he thought.

Betty waved the report, "Sorry guys, work emergency. We just came for this. We gotta go. Good to see you both. Love you, bye! See you later!"

Hilda yelled after them, "Maybe mister fancy pants could actually let you go home at a decent hour for a change, huh?"

Betty cringed, "Sorry, Daniel. She's VERY outspoken. I'm the shy one in comparison."  
He laughed, "Yeah, I see that. Justin seems nice. He knows fashion, huh? Oh, yeah, you told me he watches Fashion Buzz, right?"

He was looking over her proposal, nodding and smiling. "This is excellent, Betty. Really good. Thank you again. You are a lifesaver. Oh, by the way, your ex came by, Wilbur? He didn't have much to say, except he was afraid I was your new boyfriend. He said he was sorry."

She brightened temporarily, "Really?"

He couldn't believe she was THAT forgiving! I mean, cheating on her? Even he knew that once you did actually settle down with one person, cheating was not an option. Just ask his mother!

He had watched what his father's philandering had done to her over the years, causing her to turn to booze. He had hated how much like his father was, on one hand.

But at least he kept things casual. That way, no one got hurt. Besides, he hadn't really met any one woman who made his heart go pitter pat or anything, so…a different woman every night seemed like a pretty good way to go. After all, he hadn't heard any complaints so far.

Although, he had been picking up on some disapproval from his new assistant. But having her signal him to let him know when one girl was leaving and another was arriving was maybe going a bit too far, even for him. He had felt terrible, watching her from the comfort of his loft window as she sat on the steps across the street.

He had felt like that was going to haunt him. In fact, seeing her like that had caused him to cut his evening short by at least one girl that night. He found he couldn't concentrate on anything but the sight of poor little Betty, sitting on the step outside. Not exactly an aphrodesiac.

No, Daniel hadn't planned on still having Betty be his assistant after the week he had put her through. But, right now, holding his best hope of still saving this account in his hands, work SHE had done, he found he was very glad she was so forgiving.

She somehow had already seemed to push aside all the stupid crap he had made her do as if she expected it or was used to such treatment. Now, in fact, she seemed merely excited that he was agreeing to use her idea.

They knew there would be no time for a re-shoot at this point. Only a brief explanation to Fabia and her people of their (Betty's) idea of mothers and daughters. It helped that Fabia herself had a daughter, at least.

Daniel found himself suddenly curious about this little girl who had been thrust into his life. "So, Betty. Are you seriously going to take Wilbur back after he cheated on you?"

She was taken aback at his bluntness, not to mention, he had scarcely shown any interest in her personal life since that first day, when he was nicer to her. She drew a deep breath, and smiled, "It's Walter, not Wilbur."

"Oh, sorry. He looks like a Wilbur to me."

She giggled, thinking if she didn't know better, she would swear he almost sounded jealous. She wondered what Daniel and Wilbur...oops, Walter had said to one another that made him think Daniel was her boyfriend!


	4. Chapter 4 A Hug is Just a Hug

**Chapter 4: A Hug is Just a Hug**

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue

_Now we are getting into full on AU territory. I feel like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. We're not in Kansas, anymore, Betty! I hope you enjoy her new path._

The pitch to Fabia was successful, thanks mostly to Betty. Daniel was blown away that she didn't even let him give her the credit in front of his father.

He looked at this girl. She amazed him. He couldn't figure out why she would be so nice to him. It wasn't like her salary was all that great. He remembered she had said something about magazines being her passion.

Daniel thought maybe she should take his place. He was the heir to a publishing empire, and yet, up til now, he had done little to earn that privilege. He had squandered his inheritance, and had been forced to return, like the prodigal son to his father, desperate to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Bradford had put all his eggs in one basket-his eldest son, Alex. He had been Bradford's golden child. Daniel had been the 'spare' son. He didn't mind, he told himself.

In fact, he had learned to compensate for his father's lack of approval of anything he tried to accomplish quite nicely in his thirty-three years of life. He simply didn't try anymore. He acted like he didn't care about seeking his father's approval. Why try to seek something that was impossible?

But then, Alex got killed in an accident. Any semblance of a family completely fell apart. Claire's meager hold on sobriety slipped again, and Bradford found comfort in Fey's arms, as well as others.

Daniel had continued as long as he could, riding the merry-go-round lifestyle, hiding from feeling anything. Until the money ran out.

When his father's long time mistress, Fey Sommers had died, father and son finally found themselves face-to-face. Bradford refused to just continue to give Daniel more money to squander. This time he was going to make him work for it.

Besides, now with Alex gone, Daniel was tapped as the only heir. He needed to learn the business.

His Harvard degree scarcely prepared him for this much pressure. He felt alone. He felt like he didn't know who he could turn to anymore. His one good friend, Beckett Scott, had a career of his own. He was a free-lancer and loved to travel.

Daniel really didn't like traveling nearly as much. He liked New York. Besides, Becks didn't know publishing. He had made fun of Daniel when he told him he was going to have to work at Mode as the editor-in -chief.

So it seemed Betty was...really the only one he felt like he could count on right now. He sighed, thinking money couldn't buy you everything. It didn't buy you good friends. Those you had to earn. It certainly didn't help with family.

Daniel had been intrigued by Betty's family. They seemed so close. Even in the brief visit, she had easily said she loved her sister and nephew. He couldn't remember the last time he had said that to his mother. And his father?

They left the meeting and Daniel smiled at Betty, "Let's go get something to eat. Do you feel like a slice?" he figured she was a pizza kind of girl.

"Sure! Thank you Mr. Meade, I mean, Daniel."

"Come on. It's not too far, we can walk." He put his hands in his coat pockets and looked down at the sidewalk as they walked the eight blocks to the little Italian restaurant.

"Betty, you mentioned your mom...can I ask how she died? If it's not too hard for you."

She shook her head, "No, it's okay. It's been a few years. She...had cancer. It was tough. I still miss her. She gave me this necklace. I almost always wear it, so I feel like she's watching me."

He nodded in understanding, "My brother Alex and I didn't always get along. I was jealous of him. Dad always preferred Alex. Mom was more fair, I guess.

But she's been uh...having some problems with her drinking. It was really hard for her losing a son, I'm sure. Plus, well, my dad is kind of a jerk to her."

Betty nodded, even she had heard about Bradford Meade and Fay Sommers' affair. It was no secret. "That must be really hard on her, I mean, especially after your brother's death and all."

"Yeah. Now, all they have left is me. I hate being such a disappointment to them all the time. I told myself it didn't matter. But it would be nice to surprise them both, especially my dad and show him I can actually do this job.

Betty, I couldn't have done that today without your help. I don't know why you did it, but you have no idea how much I appreciate it."

She shrugged, "I did it because it's my job."

He eyed her narrowly, "Well, shining my shoes isn't your job, or any of that other stupid crap I let Philippe talk me into having you do. I just want to say, again how sorry I am.

I should never have treated you like that. I listened to the wrong people. You're the only one at Mode who showed me any respect and I didn't earn it."

She was shocked, as he was looking her right in the eyes now. She didn't know what to say, so she did what she usually did in such situations, she hugged him. He was taken aback.

Her hug was firm and friendly. Hugs were Betty's specialty, he was to learn. He had seen her hug her new friend, Christine, too, and her family. She was one of those who did the 'giving' kind of hugs.

Some people took from you, drew energy from you when they hugged you. Not Betty. When she gave you a hug, it was like her warmth was radiating through you.

It surprised him how warm and loving it felt. He relaxed into it and found himself hugging her back, closing his eyes. It was the most safe he could remember feeling in a long time.

After several minutes, he felt her pull away and look down shyly at first, but then the smile returned suddenly. "Oh, I love this place, Daniel! They have really good pizza here."

He smiled, thinking how young and innocent she seemed in many respects. And yet, she was also wise far beyond her years. She had so much responsibility on her young shoulders. He asked about her family while they waited for their pizza.

"So, Justin's father isn't in the picture? That had to have been hard on your sister. And for him. Poor kid. He seems really nice."

She smiled, "You just like him because he worships you!" she couldn't resist teasing Daniel. She had already discovered to her delight that she could actually make this man blush.

It seemed ironic to her that a man who had been on camera with models and actresses in very compromising pictures could also be so kind and sweet, so NORMAL with her.

She even got him to open up, something she suspected he didn't do that often. Noting his sexual habits, she figured he and his 'dates' probably didn't get around to talking and cuddling much.

"So, you really have never done karaoke? I know this great place in Queens, I'll have to drag you there sometime. They give you half off the pizza if you sing."

"Betty, I'm rich. I don't think I'm going to humiliate myself to get half off a pizza. But, maybe next time we're in Queens, I could try a slice there. Do a comparison taste thing, Manhattan pizza versus Queens.

You think you got good pie, huh? I say, bring it on, girl! This is pretty good too, you have to admit, right?" He smiled, offering her a bite of his. She took a large bite and nodded, still chewing, but mumbling, "Yeah, good!" with her mouth mostly closed.

He couldn't help laughing at her. She laughed, too. They enjoyed the food and getting to know each other a little better. Finally, Daniel looked at his watch, "Oh, wow! We'd better get back, I guess. We've been gone an hour. I didn't realize we were talking so long. Are you finished?"

She nodded. "Yes. Thanks, Daniel. This was definitely the second best pizza I've ever had, well, there's Grimaldi's, too, maybe the third best, but it was really good!"

He laughed, "You really don't give it away, do you, Betty?" then he immediately regretted saying it quite that way. "I mean...your praise, that is."he tried to cover.

"No, I don't" she smiled. She was not an idiot. She knew what he was thinking. She hooked her arm through his as they strolled down the street back towards Mode.

Wilhelmina stared out the window of her office. The office she had expected to be upgrading by now, she thought to herself, ruefully. Marc came running and stopped at her office door to use his inhaler.

"So? What did you see? What's going on with that little hobbit girl he's got working for him? Philippe was so upset, he started cursing in French, I could barely make heads or tales out of what he was saying."

Marc's eyes were wide, and disbelieving. It looks like he's trying to romance her. I don't exactly know how all the hetero males do THAT, but it looked very much like they were on some sort of date to me. There was smiling and sharing food and hugging, lots of hugging!" he made a look of utter disgust.

Wilhelmina made a similar look, but also seemed unconvinced, "You're sure? Oh, you have no idea, though. Tell me exactly what happened, Marc. You can't be right about this.

We're talking Daniel Meade here, with...THAT GIRL? It's preposterous! I'm sure it was quite innocent. But, still. If he plans on seducing her to get her to help him. That could present a problem and make things a lot more difficult. Clearly, she's a lot smarter than he is.

If it weren't for her, we would have been able to dupe that pasty-faced idiot into doing the shoot Philippe had started and he'd be out of here already!

Listen, I want you to go make nice with little Betty and find out what is going on between her and Daniel. Be best friends with her! Go, my little monkey, fly!"

He rolled his eyes at her reference, but grinned, none the same. What could he say, the woman just GOT him! He knew he should have turned down the job here, he would be a lot further.

But he just loved their chemistry, their back and forth. It was like a drug. It was as much heat as he would ever feel with a woman, and lately, with men, either, he sighed, sadly.

Betty seemed to be gathering together her things to go home. She and Daniel had returned from their long lunch 'date' only a few hours ago, and she had already been working like a maniac, it seemed.

Marc was quick and efficient at his job, too, but he had more of a relaxed attitude unless he had a deadline, then he was pure adreneline and nerves.

"Hey, Betty. Great job today on the Fabia line! Daniel give you a raise yet?"

She smiled, which continually surprised him, considering he had not been super friendly with her up to now. He and Amanda had made fun of Betty and her other ugly friends at lunch.

Although, he supposed Betty was probably too dense to pick up on his clever sarcastic remarks, so she might actually think he liked her.

"Thanks! No! Of course not, Marc. He did buy my lunch, though, so that was nice of him."

"I love how you have personalized your work area. It's very festivo! So...Daniel Meade took you out to lunch, huh? Be careful, Betty.

You do know he has a reputation, right?" he sat on the edge of her desk and leaned over to whisper, cupping his hand and looking around, "He always has sex with all his assistants. It's sort of his thing!" he laughed at his own pun.

Betty took a breath, and tried to compose herself before she spoke. She wasn't stupid. She figured he was just making fun of her, but she also suspected he might be trying to find out her feelings for Daniel to report back to Wilhelmina.

It had been obvious in the meeting that Wilhelmina had somehow been involved in getting Philippe to saboutage Daniel's efforts.

"Daniel has no interest in _me_, Marc. Didn't you hear? Bradford Meade is the one who hired me precisely so his son WOULDN'T be tempted. That's the only reason I'm here. Clearly!"

She gathered her dignity and put her purse on her shoulder and left him with his mouth agape.

So, maybe she wasn't so dense after all.


	5. Chapter 5 Sleeping BettyBeauty

**Chapter 5: Sleeping Betty Beauty**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

_This is a fairly pivotal point in the story. Betty is given the shove she needs to come to some major changes in her opinion about what's important to her and what she wants and as a result, makes a choice for a huge life change._

Betty saw Christine as she got off the elevators. She told her about what had happened with the Fabia account and how Daniel had apologized and kicked Philippe off the shoot.

She was originally still a bit upset over her conversation with Marc, but once she started sharing how well things had gone in general with Christine, she found her mood greatly improved.

Christine hugged her, "Betty, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, darlin'! See? I knew you were something special.

You know, you probably saved Daniel's job today! If Willi had her way, she'd be runnin the place and Daniel would be out on his pampered ass."

They got to the door and Betty saw Daniel getting ready to get into a waiting town car with his blonde of the day inside. He saw Betty and called her over.

She immediately started going over his schedule for tomorrow, and he interrupted her, putting his hand up and smiling,

"It's okay, Betty. We'll get that tomorrow. Thanks again for everything. Take care."

"Good night, Daniel." She smiled and started walking happily across the street, past Riverside Park.

She was vaguely aware that he was watching her and it made her nervous, so she lost her footing.

'Smooth move!' she thought to herself, but then smiled again as she headed for the subway, still feeling pretty good about herself.

Two other people were smiling as they watched this perky, sweet young woman on her way home. Daniel, as he laughed just watching how cute she was and Christine, who was also watching Daniel, watch Betty.

Meanwhile, back inside Mode, Amanda came and sat up on the counter next to Marc's desk. "Hey Maaaaarc!" she purred.

"Are you almost ready to go home yet? I want to go dancing tonight! It's Friday. What's up? Why do you seem so freaked out? Is there some gossip?"

Marc looked around to make sure no one else was around listening. "Can you keep a secret?"

She nodded, "Of course!" They exchanged a look and both laughed, "NOT! So tell me, tell me, Marc-eeee, what's up?"

"I think our little Betty might have a crush on her boss!"

She rolled her eyes, "So? Is that supposed to be good gossip? Of course she would! So does every girl here, Marc! I know you don't see it, because, well you're you….but most girls do think Daniel's pretty dishy."

"I know that! I'm not stupid, or blind, Mandy! I see he's yummy. I just mean, I think that would be a perfect way to get rid of her.

Let her think she actually stands a chance with him and then when he goes off and um, tickles some other girl's fancy things, her pudgy little heart will be so broken, she'll go running back home to Queens where she belongs!" he was getting excited as he formulated his little plot.

Amanda looked at him strangely, "Why do you care if she quits? She's not that bad!" they laughed again.

She looked at him, "No, but seriously, Marc, I kind of like having Betty here to make fun of.

It makes the day go by so much faster. I see you started a daily website of how hideous she looks.

I mean, the first day, she actually was wearing something sort of normal, but not designer. But the rest of this week, she looked like a bag lady!"

He laughed, "I know! I thought I would die laughing what she had on yesterday! If it were up to me, I'd say keep her here to have someone to keep life more interesting. I agree, she _is _fun to make fun of, that's for sure.

But, Willi's worried she's a little too smart for her own good and she's going to help Daniel keep his job. Which would keep her from getting it and that would hurt me! So, it's her or me, Mandy!"

She nodded, patting his back, "I understand, Marc. Betty has to go."

Marc giggled, "I will miss the metal mouth, though!"

Amanda sighed, "I know! Me, too!" She hugged him as they left together.

Once Betty got home, she was greeted by her family. The three people she could always count on to love and support her, no matter what.

They had thrown together an impromptu little party to congratulate her on her success at work when she had called Hilda to tell her.

"Surprise!" they yelled as she came through the door. She smiled, happy to be home. Justin and her papi both congratulated her on a job well done. Justin was giving her a hard time about her wardrobe, however.

"Aunt Betty! What are you wearing? I told you…I laid out a few outfits that looked not too terrible. Why are you wearing THAT?" he held his face in his hand, shaking his head.

She shrugged, taking a bite of one of her father's delicious tamales. "Daniel has been treating me so terribly all week, I didn't even care what I looked like.

I was seriously contemplating quitting, as much as I need this job, it just wasn't worth it.

But then, today, he finally apologized and I admit, I sort of wish I had listened to you.

I was in on the meeting for Fabia and actually I ended up doing the pitch, or at least finishing it for Daniel and they were all sort of looking at me strangely.

I'm getting used to it, though. It's just like anywhere else. I'm fine with who I am. I don't need to change just to get some guy to look at me."

Hilda and Ignacio exchanged glances, "What GUY are you talking about, Betty?"

She shrugged, taking another bite, seeming somewhat dejected." I don't know. Any guy."

Hilda said, "Are you talking about that guy that was here, your new boss, Betty? The good looking one?"

"Daniel Meade? Oh my god, Aunt Betty, you want to go after Daniel Meade?"

Betty shook her head, "No! I didn't say anything about Daniel. He's just my boss. I don't know. I just am sick to death of being treated like a second class person by everyone, but mostly men.

I can't believe someone like Wilbur would cheat on me!"

"Wilbur? Who is Wilbur?"

"I mean Walter! It's not like I'm in love with him, but still. I thought he liked me at least.

This is ridiculous that I can't even hold onto a no-chinned man like Wilbur…I mean Walter!" She started laughing at herself, for saying his name wrong again.

"Why do you keep calling him Wilbur?" Justin asked.

She smiled, "Daniel accidently called him that."

"Daniel, huh? I thought it was Mister Meade." Hilda said suspiciously.

Betty ignored her and tried to just get away. She was still in a good mood. Overall, it had been a very successful day. So much so that she had almost forgotten all about her little confrontation with Marc.

She never quite understood why people like he and Amanda seemed to get such joy out of making her life miserable. It never made any sense to her how that somehow made them feel better.

What difference did it make to them if she actually was happy for a change? Why did it matter so much to them, anyway?

She helped her family clean up and then they started watching one of her father's telenovellas, although Justin kept trying to get them to change the channel.

Betty hugged him. "You know, Daniel really liked you, Justin. I told him it was just because you were such a fan."

He smiled, "He is pretty hot, Aunt Betty. You know, I could help you find something really cute to wear to work Monday. We could all go shopping this weekend."

She shook her head and hugged him again, ruffling his hair.

As she did, she could hear Walter and Gina together, since Gina was so loud. She started to tear up, thinking, how sad it was that she found herself thinking more about Daniel and how nice it had felt to hug him than she was about hearing Walter with Gina down the street.

She emptied out her coat pockets, looking for a piece of paper, and she saw Dr. Frankel's card, the funny little smiling mouth.

The mouth with no braces, or the invisible ones the doctor had told her about.

She held up the mouth in front of hers in the mirror, trying to visualize what she would look like.

Everyone else went to bed. Betty tried, but found she was restless. She tossed and turned, wondering what her life would be like if she were pretty.

She couldn't help but speculate as to how much better her life would be if she were beautiful instead of…well, her.

She hated being this shallow. She had never wanted to conform, to be another lemming. But how much was a girl supposed to endure? How much teasing, how much heartache?

How long was she supposed to feel like a freak? No wonder her favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast, she felt like that's what everyone thought she was-a beast!

She finally drifted off to sleep, after crying into her pillow. She found herself dreaming she was back in the elevator with Dr. Farkel. What was it she had said? "Having invisible braces would change her life?"

She also was thinking about what the doctor had said about Dr. Farkus milking his clients to keep their braces on far longer than they needed to.

How long would he make her keep them on, she wondered? She found herself dreaming of working at Mode for several years.

All those years, she had her braces. She had managed still to make friends, to do well, and to form a really close bond with Daniel, especially. In fact, they seemed like best friends.

She saw him getting married to a pretty blonde. Not a model, but nice. She also saw him depending on her many times, just as he had today, both at work and as a friend. She had several boyfriends of her own in the dream.

There had been the cute, tall accountant she had seen yesterday, Henry. (She had looked up his name on the company roster after seeing him). He was very good looking and seemed really sweet.

He had also been looking at her, and smiling. She pictured herself kissing him and becoming his girlfriend.

She later saw herself with a shorter guy. He seemed cute and nice, but he and Henry had fought over her and she had ended up choosing neither of them, and instead had gone to many places, but ending up, back with Daniel.

She saw his wife dying, and him turning to her for comfort. She had another boyfriend, suddenly, a taller one with dark hair. She saw Daniel punching him.

In one confusing scene of her dream, Betty saw the image of Daniel's deceased wife, at first, then it suddenly turned into her. And they were kissing!

She startled herself awake. Whoa! Where did that come from, she wondered? Maybe because of the things Marc had said about Daniel always sleeping with his assistants.

Surely that didn't include her? Did she want it to? No! Of course not, she told herself. Besides, the idea of her with Daniel was just totally laughable.

Better she should stick to working up the courage to go talk to Henry. He was more in her league.

She tossed and turned, falling into a fitful sleep again. This time, she dreamt that she never needed braces in the first place. Plus, she had gotten Lasik surgery so she no longer needed glasses.

She saw herself being like Wilhelmina, power hungry, and trying to sabotage Daniel, so he hated her. Yet, he mentioned having slept with her.

She was very pretty, but seemed mean. Especially to Claire Meade, Daniel's mother, a woman she had never even met yet. She found herself feeling sorry for Marc, the way she treated him in this dream.

Her 'pretty' character had evidently been cruel to him. She woke up from this dream feeling almost more upset than the first. She had been less happy in the dream without braces than with them, it seemed.

Still, she kept thinking about Dr. Farkel. She wondered if there was some kind of happy medium. She knew she would not suddenly turn into a mean person if she got the invisaligns, or even once she was ready to get them off completely. So, should she do this?


	6. Chapter 6 When You Wish Upon a Star

Chapter 6: When You Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: Don't own; don't sue!

_After a restless night, Betty has made her choice, and now she is determined to make some serious changes._

Betty awoke feeling as if she had lived a whole other lifetime from her strange dreams. Almost like she had been given a glimpse into two different lives.

She knew full well that having seen how shallow and mean her 'pretty' self had seemed in her second, shorter dream that perhaps the lesson she was meant to learn was that pain and hardships gave you character and in this case, empathy and compassion.

One of the things that she really found strange was that in her brief glimpse of life as a pretty girl, Dr. Frankel had been there, as a sort of fairy godmother.

Perhaps her statement about that in the elevator had planted that in Betty's subconcious. She couldn't help thinking what she had said to her in the dream about how wearing braces had made her kinder to others.

Sorry? Was she kidding? She had already endured years of torture at the hands of her peers over the years because of her terrible teeth. Now, she was supposed to live through what seemed like four or five MORE years of teasing and feeling like an outcast and a monster as an adult?

NO thank you! Something inside her welled up and determined, she would not forget the lesson of her favorite Disney movie, just because she improved her looks, she would not become vain or be cruel to anyone else. Besides, it wasn't in her nature to be mean to people.

That wouldn't change if she became better looking. But enough was enough. She deserved to be looked at as someone that others admired. Just once in her life, she wanted to be looked at like a pretty girl, not the 'before'. It was time for her to be an 'after'.

She had seen Justin's favorite movie enough to know that in order to get ahead in the fashion world into which she had been thrust, she would need to 'drink the Kool-aid' so to speak, at least a little.

Betty was not so naive anymore as to think that anyone at Mode was going to listen to her ideas when she looked the way she did. She couldn't change everything about herself, nor did she want to do that.

She certainly had no desire to look like the glamazon models at Mode. She simply wanted to make the best of what she had. She liked her heritage, which meant she was a real woman, with curves.

Hilda did alright with her curves, she thought. HILDA! Of course, she would begin with her closest resources, Justin and Hilda.

So, at first she ran to wake her sister and nephew to begin, project make-over. She grabbed the card from Dr. Frankel's office and called the numer, wondering if they would be open on the weekend.

She expected to simply leave a message, and ask about scheduling an appointment, but Dr. Frankel herself answered the phone. Betty was taken aback. It seemed strange to hear the woman's voice she had just heard in her own dream the night before.

"Dr. Frankel, this is Betty Suarez. I don't know if you remember me, but we met in an elevator at Meade Publications a week or so ago and you mentioned having a payment plan for me to switch from conventional braces to the invisalign ones.

Would it be possible to set up an appointment to do that sometime soon? Do you have any cancelations, perhaps? I'd like to at least discuss the possibility."

"Time to make your dreams come true, huh, Betty?"

Betty looked at the phone strangely, "Uh, yeah. I guess so."

"Actually, you're in luck. I normally don't even come into the office on the weekend, but I had scheduled an emergency procedure for several hours today, and she canceled on me at the last minute, some family crisis that trumped working on her teeth, so, if you can come in right now, I can take a look for you and maybe even get you switched out now. Depending on how bad a job Dr. Farkus did on your metal braces."

"Seriously? You could do it NOW?" Betty found herself getting excited at the possibility. "Where is your office?"

She quickly scribbled down the directions, along with a note to her family, telling them she would be out for a few hours, but asking Hilda and Justin if they could help her go shopping and fix her hair when she returned.

She dug through her purse, seeing if she had enough for a cab all the way to Manhattan. It would mean she had no money for lunch out with Christine all week, but that was a small sacrifice to make.

She gave the driver the directions and sat back, trying to tell herself this might not happen today and that was fine.

It would work out if it was meant to, and whatever happened, she would be fine. Dr. Frankel might not be able to work out a payment plan Betty could afford.

Although, she got out her new insurance card, trying to remember what kind of coverage she got now. She knew it was actually really good, as she recalled.

Those insurance meetings never made any sense to her. It seemed like you needed a degree in insurance speak to understand what your coverage actually was.

She paid the driver and went inside. Dr. Frankel met her, "I'm too nice a boss for my own good sometimes. I came in, but I forgot to call my assistant to come help me, so it'll be just me, today."

"That's fine, Dr. Frankel. I wanted to first discuss how much the invisaligns cost and if my insurance coverage would be sufficient to at least do a payment plan."

"Betty, I know how practical you are, and I admire that, but here, the cost is probably going to run about five thousand, which, believe me, especially if you ended getting stuck with the metal mouth for more than two years, that's actually cheaper!

Your insurance with Mode is really good. I can definitely work this out over the next two and a half years, so that's thirty months of payments, and if you need to, we could extend that to even after, since you'd still technically be a patient, especially if you require a retainer or any other follow-up treatment.

So, enough with the money stuff, if you're ready, let's get those ugly things off your teeth and take a look at Betty with no metal-see the real princess under there!"

Betty looked at her strangely, wondering if she had somehow really been in her dream. She kept saying these things that made her wonder..."Oh...that feels nice!"

Dr. Frankel laughed, "I asked you to count backwards, but that's fine. Okay, this is not going to hurt a bit, evidently. You seem nice and relaxed, Betty!"

She smiled, and took out her pliers to remove Betty's braces. After a few hours, she pushed the chair upright and handed Betty a hand mirror, "Here you go, Princess Betty! What do you think?"

Betty literally gasped as she saw her reflection. Her vision was a little blurry, since the doctor had removed her glasses.

She reached for them now, though and found it wasn't an illusion, her teeth looked nice-you really coudln't see the new braces unless you got right next to her mouth. But her teeth looked straight and pretty.

"Oh my God! They're gorgeous! I LOVE it! Thank you! Thank you so much, Dr. Frankel. You have no idea what this means to me!"

"I think I do, Betty. I needed braces, too. I know what it's like. I had to wear the ugly metal kind for over two years and it was hell on earth. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

That's why I became an orthodontist. To change people's lives. I think I told you, it makes me feel like I'm a fairy godmother. So, I guess that would make you Cinderella! Now go and find your Prince Charming!"

"Well, I'm just going to be happy to not be laughed at and have all my ideas dismissed at work. I think the nicest thing will just to feel normal. I've...never had that. You really are a fairy godmother!" she hugged her and left, after taking the paperwork with her.

"Go, it's Saturday. Enjoy your day off; I'm closing up shop, myself now. You can bring the paperwork back to your next appointment in a few weeks. I know where you work. You're not going anywhere with those braces." she smiled.

Betty flashed her a big smile and she put up her hand, laughing, "Whoa! Blinding smile, Betty! Enjoy!"

Betty felt like a completely different person. She had never felt so beautiful. She could feel the braces on her teeth with her tongue almost as much as with the metal ones.

However, she kept looking at her reflection and smiling, thinking she was another person. It was literally a dream come true.

She had taken the subway back, wanting to save some cash for finding at least one or two outfits she could wear to work next week that Justin helped her pick. She opened the door and Justin's eyes grew wide.

He had been standing at the stairs, waiting on his mom, and chewing on a piece of celery. He almost choked on it.

"Aunt Betty? OH MY GOD! You look, you look fantastic! What happened? How did you get your braces off already? I thought that guy said it could be several years?" He was confused.

She got up closer to him, "They're still there. Well, I got a new orthodontist and she replaced the metal ones with invisaligns. She's a great lady! I love her. She's my fairy godmother!"

Betty seemed to be dancing around, she was so happy, looking in the mirrors, and smiling. Justin laughed, "That's awesome, AB. We got your note, so operation makeover is well under way, I see.

You're definitely off to a great start, I'd say. Now, as soon as mom gets her touche in here, we can take you shopping. Honestly, AB, you know you need to listen to me when it comes to the fashion, and not mom.

She says she has some great ideas for your hair. She was really excited you were finally going to let us do this."

She looked at him, "You guys have been wanting to give me a make-over?"

"Oh, God, yes!" he rolled his eyes. She looked a little hurt.

"I'm sorry, AB, it's just that...you have so much potential. It's like you were in the witness protection program or something, though. Say, what do you think about contacts?" He stood in the mirror with her.

She shook her head, "I don't know, Justin. I don't really like the idea of putting my finger in my eyes."

"Well, let's at least see how much some nicer glasses are, and ASK about contacts?" She nodded.

"Awesome!" He smiled. She looked at him, thinking how glad she was he had a nice smile. "MOM!" he seemed almost more anxious than his aunt to get started on her make-over.

Hilda came out, finally, "Okay, Justin, I'm coming, is Betty back yet? Betty! OH my God!"

Betty giggled, "Everybody keeps saying that! Me included. You like them? They're great, aren't they? You can't even tell they're there anymore."

Hilda got close and saw the braces. "Wow! Those are frickin' fantastic, Betty! How much..." Betty could see the worry in her sister's face. Miracles usually cost too much for the Suarez family. Betty was quick to re-assure her.

"I got a great insurance plan at work, plus I got on a payment plan with my new orthodontist. I just need to call Dr. Farkus' office and cancel my treatment with him next week. Are we ready to hit the city, guys?"

"Ready! Let's get operation Make Betty Beautiful on the road!"she hugged her sister, and looked so happy for her, Betty felt blessed to have such a supportive family on her side.

Celebrating with her last night, encouraging her today, and comforting her these past few days, when she had been feeling so low with Daniel treating her terribly and Wilbur back and forth between saying he wanted her back and yet, still seeming to want Gina. It had been an eventful week, that was for sure.

She couldn't stop smiling. She noticed how much her confidence had already skyrocketed. Not that she had let the metal braces stop her from smiling, really. She still had shown those teeth, braces and all plenty in the past several months.

She had felt glad to finally get her treatment started at first. Dr. Farkus had seemed strange, it's true. But she figured, he was reasonable, so...it was all she could afford.

She laughed at herself. Had she just thought of Walter as Wilbur, again? It made her think of Daniel. Something she had been trying NOT to do. Her dreams had gotten her heart racing. That kiss. The one that literally woke her up.

Even though she had liked kissing Henry in her dream, he had seemed out of reach, somehow, like someone she could never really have.

Which was very weird, since, Daniel was obviously the more unattainable one in reality. He was so far out of her league...but she glanced in a mirror, thinking he had liked her in the one dream. Not really liked, but desired?

She shook herself out of this useless train of thought. She was NOT Cinderella and Daniel was certainly no Prince Charming, that was for sure.

She cringed, remembering the hellish week he had just put her through. Especially the night he had had her playing keep away with his line up of women! What a jerk!

She tried to make herself picturing Henry again. He was very cute AND he had seemed very interested in her. Even Amanda had mentioned him asking about her.

She wondered what Marc and Amanda and the other "Modies" would think of her new look Monday.

At least, maybe they would take her more seriously and she could get some respect, instead of them all treating her like she was an annoying child.

The Suarez's had a great time, shopping. Justin was a great shopper. He found Betty three outfits that were designer fashions on sale. She thought they looked nice on her, but was a little hesitant to show not only as much cleavage and leg as he insisted, but with how close to her figure they clung. She was a shy person and she felt strange, wearing things that clung to her, showing off her curves so much.

Both Justin and Hilda argued, "Betty, girl you always hide everything, you got a good body, girl. Don't be afraid to show what you got!"

Justin actually agreed with his mom, although he didn't agree with her style, it worked for her, so he had stopped (for the most part) trying to class her up. But with his aunt, the clothes he had chosen were still tasteful, just a lot more sexy than he knew she was comfortable in wearing.

"Aunt Betty, just try them for a while. I know it's out of your comfort zone, but you are going to get so many postive reactions, believe me, it will really boost your self-confidence. You look a million times better already, just with the braces. And when mom fixes your hair smooth, you'll be so beautiful, believe me! Daniel's eyes are going to pop!"

She stammered, "Daniel? I told you, Justin, this is not to impress Daniel, okay? I just want to be taken seriously at work. I want my opinion to matter. I'm sick of not having anyone listen to my ideas. This is so I can get ahead in my job, that's all. NOT to turn Daniel Meade or any other guy's head."

Hilda and Justin exchanged glances, grinning, "Of course, Aunt Betty!"


	7. Chapter 7 The Butterfly Wears Gucci

Chapter 7: The Butterfly Wears Gucci

Disclaimer: I don't own, so please don't sue!

_I have to admit, I've been writing like I was on Red Bull these past two days just to get to this chapter. I can SO picture Daniel's face when he sees Betty! Hope you enjoy reading nearly as much as I enjoyed picturing it in my head!_

Amanda's eyes were huge, as she went running to Marc's desk Monday morning, "Marc, Marc, have you seen Betty yet this morning?"

"No. Why is she wearing something more hideous than last week? I've got my camera here." He seemed giddy as he followed her towards Betty's desk.

"Not exactly. She's wearing Gucci, actually. Spring collection-_this _year!" She said emphatically.

"Seriously?" Marc was taken aback.

"That's not all. Just…come see. I can't WAIT to see what Daniel does when he sees her!"

Now she had him extremely curious. Why should Daniel care if his little assistant dressed more fashionably? She had looked better clothes-wise on her first day, but it didn't really make that much of a difference.

She still looked….."Gorgeous! OH MY GOD!" his mouth literally fell open when he saw her. She didn't look like herself, that was for certain. Well, sort of, but…like she had been photo-shopped.

She had her hair styled with her bangs swept to the side, smooth, and silky, with curls, and she was wearing a dark green short Gucci dress, that was low-cut enough to see she had very nice breasts, and a tiny waist.

It was also short enough to see she had pretty decent legs, especially considering how short she was.

If he wasn't mistaken (and he was sure he wasn't), she was even wearing Gucci black ankle strap sandals with peek-a-boo toes. She had very tiny feet and the full skirt flattered her shapely bottom.

Marc was almost so surprised by all the fashion changes that he missed the big changes-she seemed to have lost her braces and glasses! "What the….?"

Amanda looked at him and nodded, "I know, right? It's like she was photo-shopped or something!"

"Wow! I don't really say that about women, but….she definitely doesn't look like-Betty!"

"I know what you mean. I almost had a heart attack when I saw THAT!"

They slowly approached Betty, as if they were about to make contact with an alien from another planet. "Betty?" asked Amanda hesitantly. "Um….how was YOUR weekend?"

Betty was sorting through Daniel's mail and messages, and looked up absently, smiling with a bright, beautiful smile. Both Marc and Amanda took a full step back when she did.

She tried to stifle a grin. This was actually so much better than she imagined. She actually just about had them speechless, she realized.

She shrugged, "Oh, not much! My family had a little party for me Friday night, then Saturday, I went to a new ortho, and later did a little shopping with my sister and her son.

Yesterday, I called up Christine and she and I hung out at her place, watching movies, and she did some alterations for me. Did you guys have fun on your weekend?"

Marc took a breath and made a face, wrinkling his brow. He was trying to decide what he was going to tell Willi. He finally couldn't contain himself any longer, "So, Betty. What's with the new look? What prompted the big make-over?"

She looked him square in the eye, "I work in a fashion magazine, now, Marc. I figured it was about time I presented myself appropriately for my job. I wouldn't want to be an embarrassment in any way to Mode when I represent them. Why? You don't think I look more suitable for my job now?"

"Oh, yeah! Definitely! You look much better." He found he couldn't even think of a way to slyly insult her right now. He was too shocked at the moment to think of anything. But, wait; he was Marc frickin St. James.

He was not about to let this little burrito get the best of **him. ** He smiled evilly, "So, how do you think Daniel's going to react to your new look? I guess he'll be taking you out to lunch and giving you more than hugs from now on!"

But Betty wasn't letting that one slide. She narrowed her eyes, "How would _**you**__ know_ he gave me a hug at lunch, Marc? Unless Wilhelmina had you spying on us! Is she really that desperate? I guess Daniel should feel good that she's that threatened by him."

"Not by HIM." He had to give her that.

She smiled, "By little ME? I'm flattered. The Great Wilhelmina Slater feels threatened enough by me to send you to spy on Daniel and me? Very interesting, Marc.

Thanks for the intel! Be sure to tell your boss I said hello, and she hasn't seen anything yet. Daniel isn't going anywhere, so she had better just try to enjoy her job as Creative Director."

Marc had to admit, he liked Betty when she was sassy. But of course, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that.

When Marc left, Amanda smiled, softly for her, and said, "Betty, don't tell Marc I said this, because I'll deny it, but I think you look really pretty today."

"Thank you, Amanda. You always look pretty." She actually thought Amanda meant it, surprisingly.

"I know." she purred and sashayed back to the donut. "I want to see Daniel's face when he gets a load of YOU, today, Betty!" She yelled over her shoulder, grinning.

Betty smiled, thinking she felt the same. She also wanted to see Wilhelmina's face, she thought, feeling like this was definitely going to be an interesting day.

Daniel walked in, at about nine, early for him, and barely glanced at Betty's head, which was down as she worked on the press release for Natalie Whitman, their next cover. She loved her movies, with the 'You Do the Math' line. The girl was a really great actress and Betty was excited to get to meet her.

She buzzed Daniel. "Good morning. Do you want your messages? I haven't gotten your coffee and bagel yet. I didn't know you'd be in this early."

She saw him smile, but he had turned towards the window, "Yeah, I figured I better get in here before you took my job. I've already got Wilhelmina trying to get rid of me. All I need is for you two to team up and kick me out."

Betty remembered her dream, thinking it was interesting that he should say that. She could certainly NEVER see herself teaming up with Wilhelmina.

"I'm sure she's already figured out that was all your pitch on Fabia. Come on in. Don't worry about the coffee and bagel. Maybe we could go get it together in a minute and talk about Natalie Whitman's account."

"Yeah, I've got the press releases for her. Do you want me to bring them in?"

"Yes, please."

She took a deep breath, and brought in his messages and the files on Natalie Whitman. As she walked over, Daniel twirled his chair around rather quickly, causing all the messages to fly out of Betty's hand and scatter across the room. He dove onto the floor, trying to grab some of them for her.

"Sorry, Betty! I….I…." he stopped, as he saw her shoe stepping on one of the messages he had tried to retrieve. He had a very puzzled look as his eyes followed her leg up and his eyes got wider as his gaze continued up to her face, stopping at pretty much every inch in between. "Betty?"

She couldn't resist. His expression was just priceless. "Tell me about it, STUD!" She laughed. She had never felt more confident. She actually knew she looked good.

Nothing could change that; nobody could take that away from her, no matter what, she thought, grinning. The fact that she had gotten this expression from her player boss was just beyond satisfying for the lifelong ugly girl.

He pulled his tie and cleared his throat, blinking as if he thought he must surely be dreaming. Nice dream, he thought, "Nice legs…" shit! Had he actually said that, OUTLOUD? CRAP! "Uh, Betty, you look really nice, I mean. What, what happened to your braces? I thought you said you just got them?"

He was trying desperately to sound like the cool, detached 'friendly' boss and not some leering perv who she might sue for sexual harassment. Although, OH MY GOD! There were no words for how good she looked, he thought.

_This_ was _Betty_? He was trying to think of how he was going to work with her looking this good and NOT want to hit on her.

"Oh, I've still got them, see? They're invisaligns." She leaned closer, for him to look and he really did try his best NOT to sneak a peek at her very nice cleavage. She stifled a laugh, thinking how very interesting it was going to be to make Daniel so uncomfortable.

He nodded and just mumbled, "Oh. I see. Nice."

"So, you said something about getting coffee? Do you want me to bring the stuff on Natalie with us?"

"Sure." He grabbed his jacked off his chair and followed her, trying just as unsuccessfully to NOT check out her butt as they left the office.

Amanda smiled, watching Daniel with her eyes narrowed, "Should I hold all your calls, boss?"

He nodded. She called out, "Have fun, you two!" Daniel turned and gave her a dirty look.

As they walked to the coffee shop a few blocks away, Daniel couldn't help himself, "Betty?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Why did you do this? Why the big change all of a sudden?"

She looked at him squarely in the eyes. "Honestly?"'

"Yeah. Please."

"I was sick of feeling like I was always on the outside looking in. I know the kind of place Mode is and I could see that no matter how smart I am or how hard I work, nobody was going to take me seriously or listen to my ideas unless they figured I knew what I was talking about here.

Plus, I don't know. Justin's made me watch 'The Devil Wears Prada' so many times; I figured it might be nice to see the look on everyone's face that she got after her makeover. Especially Miss Slater. I know what she must think of me. I must admit, yours was pretty funny, too." She couldn't help making fun, just a little.

He grinned, "Well. Sorry, I just was a little shocked. You definitely took me by surprise. Sorry about the legs thing. Please don't sue me or anything. My dad already thinks I can't keep it in my pants. All he needs to hear is me…you know."

"Hitting on the one girl he hired that he thought you WOULDN'T sleep with?" she smiled.

"Well, yeah. But, I wasn't hitting on you. I promise. I can still have a working relationship with a woman that I don't…hit on."

"Too bad." She winked.

"Sorry?" he looked surprised.

"Kidding, Daniel. I just wanted to relieve the sexual tension."

He smiled at her. He didn't really know how to react to her acting all flirty and confident like this. She had actually seemed pretty confident even with the braces, he thought.

This wasn't a completely new side to her. It just seemed even more intriguing since she now seemed to realize at least a little how much better she looked.

He knew she was enjoying her newfound power over him and he was frankly sort of enjoying it himself, in spite of how much his palms were sweating and his breath was kind of shallow.

"Look, I'm not worried about you hitting on me, Daniel. I know I just took you by surprise. I am not nor will I ever be a size zero model. I don't really want to be.

We both know that's your type and that's fine. That should allow us to work together, no matter what I dress like, so it's really a good thing that we're not each other's type.

We can be friendly boss and assistant without any chasing each other around the desk silliness to keep us from getting our job done. And before you ask, I'm DEFINITELY NOT willing to perform any of the extra services your previous assistant was, willing to perform either. So, please don't ask! Regardless what I've heard already in the rumor mill."

He actually reddened. Wow, she didn't pull any punches, did she? "I…I…definitely wasn't going to ask you to do THAT, Betty.

I'm sorry there have been rumors about you and me already. That's my fault, obviously. If you work with me, and uh…well, especially now, I'm afraid people are going to talk about us, though.

So, you'd better just get used to it. I've had to. But, I promise, I'll do everything I can to not let the press disrespect you, okay? You work too hard. You don't deserve to be treated like you…don't deserve your position.

I'm the only one here who got their job by nepotism." He had gotten closer to her now, and she found her palms feeling moist.

She nodded, "Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate that."

They got their coffee and bagels and headed back to the office. They had already talked about the Natalie Whitman photos. Betty thought her photos were beautiful, but Daniel explained that they were probably going to be re-touched before they went into Mode. "Sorry, Betty. That's just the business, you know?"

"Well, it's stupid! She looks really beautiful the way she is."

Daniel smiled, "Tell me how you really feel, Betty."

"I promise, I will, Daniel."

He shook his head, thinking he was in a LOT of trouble.


	8. Chapter 8 Hairy Grabdick Strikes Again

Chapter 8: Hairy Grabdick Strikes Again

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, so please don't sue!

_I'm not strictly being canon here, but rather combining several episode details to suit me. (That is the really cool thing about A/U, I suppose, I'm basically the Wizard here and I can make the characters do whatever I please) _

Wilhelmina Slater had no patience for fools, or anyone who wasted her valuable time. She tapped her foot; never a good sign, Marc knew.

"Well, out with it! Why is everyone buzzing about Daniel and Betty going out to get coffee and bagels? What's the big deal? Oh...MY...God! What the?"

Good, so she had seen Betty herself and he wouldn't have to try and tell her. Marc always hated being the bearer of bad news to Willi; she was very much the 'shoot the messenger' type, unfortunately for him.

He sighed with relief as he saw Daniel and Betty walking back into his office. But his eyes bugged for a moment as he saw Daniel shutting the door behind them. Not that it mattered much. The man had glass for walls.

There was only one place he could hide in his office. Under his desk and behind the door. However, it seemed he must be in one of those places with Betty now.

He noticed Wilhelmina actually furrowing her botoxed brow. He reminded her gently, "Willi, careful, your brow is creasing a bit. We might need to do a touch-up this afternoon."

She relaxed her face, holding her eyes open to glare at him, "Find out what Fabia is doing to her face, will you? What in the world happened? THAT was Betty? I swear, Marc, if she keeps his ass in what should rightfully be MY job, heads are going to roll! Curly haired heads!

I expect you to DO something-go interupt them. Whatever you do, make sure those two do NOT join forces."

"But, Willi, listen. I was actually thinking."

"I don't pay YOU to do the thinking, Marc!"

"I know, but hear me out, please."

"You've got two minutes. Make it one, actually. Then get me Fabia's number!"she rubbed her brow, looking in the mirror self-consciously.

He started rubbing his eyebrows, nervously. "I think little Betty actually is starting to fall for her boss, whether she knows it or not. Probably what prompted the make-over in the first place.

So...knowing Daniel and what a ruoue he is, if we make her THINK he actually likes her, but he does, well, what he does with yet another and another and another girl, and she gets her little Mexicali corazone broken into tiny little pieces, she will want to get as far away from mister Romeo as possible, don't you agree?"

"You might actually have a point. For a change. Oh, what the hell! Try it, and see. What can it hurt to try I suppose?

Let me know how it's going by the end of the day. Natalie Whitman is due in at eleven. I want a progress report, today, Marc!"

"Of course, Willi."

He shook his head. Sometimes the woman demanded too much. How the hell was he supposed to play cupid for these two, and then let Betty see Daniel's seedy side? He saw Amanda filing her nails.

Of course! He hated using his bestie, but she wouldn't mind, he was sure in this case. She was crazy about Daniel and had been trying to become his assistant for quite a while now, he knew. So, all he would have to do is dangle that carrot.

"Hey, Mandy pandy! How's it go-in?" He leaned against the donut and twirled his finger around her hair.

"What do you want, Marc?" she asked suspiciously. He had his little wanting her to do him a favor face on. Which sometimes was actually fun stuff, but other times involved her doing scary things she really didn't want to do.

"Well, nothing. I just thought that we could do what we talked about and try to make Betty all jealous and mad at Daniel so she'll leave, and then I bet he'll finally make YOU his assistant.

You know, he probably wanted to in the first place. It was Bradford who hired Betty, so Daniel WOULDN'T want to sleep with her. But now...he might actually want to." he shuddered at the thought of straight sex.

"So, what's your evil plan, then? Get him and Betty to hook up, then have me lure him away in the copy room for her to walk in on the next day or something?"

Marc looked at her, surprised. "Actually, that's not bad, Amanda! But, how do we get them to uh...get together in the first place? I missed his reaction. Did he like her new look?"

"Well, of course! He had his tongue hanging out and was panting after her like a dog in heat or something."

Marc smiled, knowingly, "It sounds to me like YOUR jealous of Betty! ha!"

"Well, of course I wouldn't have been before! But she did make quite an improvement. He does actually like big boobs and butts, too."

"Really? But he mostly dates models...well, and you."

"Yeah, but, he only started dating models recently, when he began working at Mode. Probably just because they're here, it's convenient for him, and of course they're all going to jump him, so why would he resist that?

But his friend Becks told me Daniel was totally into short, curvy girls in college. He said Daniel likes that they make him feel taller.

He even said he dated lots of librarians, too. Girls with glasses turn him on. Becks said it was something about he liked them being smart and that he could make them hot anyway, I think."

"Hmmm...well, actually, that should all be good for them getting together, then, right? There's the short thing. Plus, he likes boobs, she's got those, he likes big butts, she's got that. She's got brains, and he likes those, check, check, check.

So, all we've got to do is find a way to isolate them or something. Maybe we could get them stuck on an elevator? Or, lock them in a room together? Come on, Amanda, help me think."

"No, I know what works better than anything for Daniel."she smiled her Cheshire Cat smile.

"I'll just bet you do, you dirty little girl!" he grinned.

"Jealousy!"

"Mandy, I really don't think Daniel or Betty would believe I turned straight."

"Not you, idiot! Ew! No, Betty's been eyeing that tall dark and dorky man-candy down in accounting all week. They've been sighing and humming and fawning all over each other every time he makes a bogus excuse to come up here. It's been dork-us disgusting central here.

She's gone down there a few times, too. I'll bet you anything she needs to go talk to him about her insurance for her new braces, don't you think?

"Mandy, you are like a savante or something, sometimes!" he hugged her.

She looked at him, slightly puzzled, "Is that like a Starbucks thing?"

He shook his head, "Not really. It's fine. You're smart."

She smiled, as he petted her, lightly.

After Betty came out of Daniel's office, reading through her information on Natalie, Amanda went in. "Daniel, I took a few messages while you and Betty were out. Do you want them now?"

"Yeah, sure." he smiled.

She read them off to him, although he could have sworn, some of them sounded made up. "Amanda, did you want to tell me something?"

She looked out at Betty's desk. "Well, nothing. I just wanted to see if the rumors were true about Betty."

"What rumors? You know, no, stop, Amanda. There is nothing going on between Betty and me, okay? I mean, I know she looks great now, and all, but we're just co-workers."

"Not you, Daniel."

"What? Oh. Who?"

"That tall, dorky guy in accounting. Grabdick or whatever. Hairy Grabdick."

He couldn't help laughing at her, "Amanda, I promise you, we don't have any employees named...THAT!"

She looked out, just as Henry had come up from the elevators and was headed to Betty's desk rather quickly.

"Oh, yeah, mister smarty pants? There! That guy! That's him." She stuck her head out and yelled, "Hey, cutie, come here."

Henry pointed to himself, "Who, me?" she nodded and smiled. Dorks were so fun to mess with, she thought. "Yeah, handsome. What's your name, again?"she purred.

"Henry. Henry Grubstick." "Thanks! See, Daniel? I told you! Oh, wait, hey, aren't you all hot for little Betty, Henry?"

He shifted nervously, kicking his shoe. "I...uh, I...well, actually, I do like her. Does she know?" She smiled, "Of course, dear. Go tell her you like her.

Oh, uh, just be warned, she got like a major re-working, so she's actually kind of pretty now. But, good luck, anyway, Hairy! Go for it!"

She turned to Daniel, who, predictibly was watching Henry's awkward advances towards Betty's desk. She seemed to be hard at work and had not even seen him approach. She turned around suddenly and his eyes widened, as he pushed up his glasses, nervously.

"Betty! Wow! You...you look different!"

"Henry! Hi! Yeah, well, I got the invisible kind of braces and my nephew insisted I try contacts. I don't know, though. I also got some new glasses, so if my eyes don't respond well to the contacts, I can always use them.

How are you, Henry? It's good to see you. I actually have a sort of accounting question to ask...hey, Daniel. Did you need something?" She looked somewhat disappointed that Daniel had come to stand impatiently over her desk.

"Yeah, Natalie's here. I just thought you might want to come along and meet her. Oh, hi, Henry. How's it going down in accounting?"

"Good, Daniel. Okay, well, I'll talk to you later, Betty. Mustn't keep the movie star waiting."

As soon as he left, Betty turned to give Daniel an evil stare, "Okay, what was THAT about, Daniel? You and I both know Natalie's people said she won't be here for another hour, which probably in reality means closer to two. So, what's really up?"

He pulled her into the hallway with him, "Nothing. I just don't really like that guy. I heard he had some girlfriend in Tucson that he knocked up or something, Betty.

You have to be careful with guys. Sometimes they may seem like nice guys, but...they could still break your heart. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

She was shocked to hear about Henry getting a girl pregnant. That definitely did NOT seem like something he would do. He seemed sweet and safe. Not like Daniel.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, she thought. She couldn't believe he was giving her advice about avoiding men who used girls? That was rich, she thought.

"I guess it takes one to know one, huh?" She couldn't resist. He had it coming, if he was going to start butting into her personal life.

"Sorry?" She just looked at him. He knew exactly what she meant.

Betty decided to change the subject. "Oh, by the way, I think I found a great photographer for the upcoming Christmas cover. I'm sure you've heard of him. Vincent Biancci!"

"He is great, Betty. But he'll never work for Mode. He got in a huge fight with Alex and swore he'd never work here again."

"Well, that's interesting, because I already convinced him to meet you tomorrow, at Madison Six. He actually mentioned the thing about Alex, and almost hung up on me, but I told him you were nothing like your brother."

He was dumbfounded, "How exactly did you do that?"

"Oh, nothing. I just offered to sleep with him." She kept a straight face. Daniel's went purple.  
"What?"

She laughed."Oh, my goodness. You're way too easy, today. Relax! His father and mine are old friends. He's from my neighborhood. I had a sandwich from a local deli sent to him and he called me. He's a very nice guy."

"I see. Wow, well, I guess I really should make sure you don't side with Wilhelmina to get rid of me, huh, Betty?"

"Thank you, Daniel. Just doing my job." She was pleased with all her hard work. She knew that even had she done the same thing before her big makeover, she would not be getting nearly as much credit.

Sad fact, but true. Pretty girls got way more credit than they deserved. But, again, Betty was still determined to do the work.

Maybe the people at Mode would listen to her and respect her opinion more now that she looked more like them, but she still intended to use her brain and use it often.

She pulled Daniel towards the conference room. "How is your mother, doing, Daniel?"

"Huh? Oh, fine, I guess. She's still in rehab. I should probably give her a call and check on her."

"I know; I sent her flowers and you spoke to her promising you were going to visit her today, remember?"

"I did?"

"Yes. I heard you. So don't try to wiggle out of it."

"I wasn't wiggling, Betty."

She eyed him, "Yes, you were. You were definitely wiggling."

"Right. I think you just like saying that. Whatever. I guess I'll go see her then. Did you talk to her?"

"A little. She asked how you were doing so far."

"Yeah? What did you tell her?"

"That you did a great job on the Fabia line. That you were doing well here and you really wanted to make her and your father proud of you."

"You...really said all that?"

"Of course. That IS what you told me, Daniel. I'm sorry, should I not have said it?" She looked up at him.

"No, it's fine, actually. What did she say?" He seemed to be avoiding her gaze somewhat. Something about her NOT wearing glasses made him feel like she could see through him even more than she usually could.

"She seemed happy. She said she misses you and she loves you very much and she is looking forward to seeing you today."

He eyed her suspiciously, "My mom did NOT say all that, Betty. You made that up. Man, you're really a terrible liar, you know that?" he teased, smiling.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I don't like lying. She would have said it. I was reading between the lines and it's defintely what she meant."

"My mom is not all that cuddly. She's more like razor blades than teddy bears."

"You love her, Daniel."

"Well, of course. She is my mother. I'm just saying, she's not the typical mushy, emotional mom, though, that's all."

"Why are you so nice, then, Daniel?"

"What do you mean? Nice about what?"

"Just...nice. I don't get it. I mean, you've said your father is a pretty tough nut to crack, never opens up or tells you he loves you.

Now, you're telling me your mom is kind of cold, too? I was just wondering how you are still so nice, that's all. Well, maybe not LAST week, but most of the time."

"You really think I'm NICE? I don't see that. I guess...thanks?"

Marc had been listening around the corner and rolled his eyes, as he walked in, "Oh, heavens to Prada, will you two get a room, already?"

"WHAT?" Both Daniel and Betty looked at him as if he was insane.

"What the hell are you talking about, Marc? We were just TALKING, for god's sake. Don't gay people talk?"

"Hey, don't be prejudice or start stereotyping ME , straight man! I was only making a simple and obvious observation about you two, that's all."

"Right, that we were talking so now we should 'get a room'? That's crazy. What, people can't talk without wanting to have sex?"

"Well, yes, _people_ can. Many people do, in fact. But you two just seem like you can't wait to rip each other's clothes off or something. It's sort of making me want to vomit. Excuse me." he left.

Daniel and Betty tried to laugh, but both looked down at their hands, nervously. "Marc! What a weird guy, huh?"

Betty nodded, and smiled, "Yeah. Who knows where he gets his strange ideas about straight people? I mean, us? Come on? We barely know each other. He's being ridiculous."

"Right. Totally...ridiculous." he swallowed, then looked at his watch. "What time did Natalie's people say she should be here?"

"Soon, Daniel." They both fidgeted until Natalie arrived with her manager and publicist.


	9. Chapter 9 Mother Knows Best

Chapter 9: Mother Knows Best

_Betty meets Claire (yay!) But not naked, this time (I thought they should get to know each other better first!) We are picking up pretty much from where we left off last time. (I actually wrote both chapters all together, then separated them.) Vincent is coming in Chapter 10!_

Wilhelmina came in, and barely hid the fact that she was staring at Betty, but didn't say a word.

When Natalie asked Betty about her photos, she started to say how beautiful she thought she looked, Daniel interupted her,"If you already look hot, why not look Super Hot, though?"

Betty rolled her eyes. Finally, they all left the room, except Natalie.

Back in Daniel's office, Betty and Daniel argued over the fact that he didn't think she should have voiced her opinion. He told her to just go with the vibe of the room. She was annoyed by his lack of conviction.

She was glad to leave him when he asked her to look for his blackberry back in the conference room and she saw poor Natalie, sitting at the computer, making herself completely 'disappear' on the screen.

Betty told her again how beautiful she was and asked if she wanted some of her father's homemade empanadas. "Sure, why not? They'll just photo-shop me, anyway, so who cares what I look like, huh?"

She invited her down to the company cafeteria, where Christine and the other 'normal' people at Mode sat together, away from the 'chic-ees'. Christine looked at Betty, proudly. She had done a good job helping Betty with her make-over, she thought.

The other girls at the table were a bit taken aback by Betty's appearance at first, but saw that she was still sweet and acted the same towards them. They were happy to have Natalie Whitman sitting with them.

They all told her how much they enjoyed her movies, and seemed to be having a great time with her. Amanda tried to flatter Natalie, but she just ignored her, leaving her to stare at their table in longing.

What had happened, she wondered? Had the universe gone crazy? Betty and the ugly women were now the 'cool table' and had a movie star sitting with them?

She went over to Marc, whining, "What's up with that? I mean they're eating, Marc!"

He brushed her aside, "Mandy, I'm sorry, I've got problems of my own. Willi has got me doing double duty.

I've got to try to play pimp daddy for Betty and Daniel, then show her his true colors, plus she wants me to track down some crazy duck doctor for a special beauty treatment Fabia had that she wants!" he was waiting on the phone.

Amanda patted him and smiled, "I'll help you get Betty and Daniel hot and heavy, then I'll take him home with me and pull the rug out from Betty's little fantasy.

I already got him jealous over Henry earlier. You should have seen how fast he went and did the block on tall, dark and goofy! It was funny. Daniel's SO predictible, sometimes, I can make him do whatever I want!"

"Yeah, except marry you!" Marc realized too late, he had actually hit a nerve. "Sorry, Mandy! I didn't mean it, honest! Daniel is an idiot for not wanting you."

"Oh, he WANTS me, he just doesn't love me. At least, not yet, anyway." She narrowed her eyes.

He was still on the phone, and he pushed her, "Go, work on getting them together, and then apart."

"No problem. This is going to be like taking candy from a fat girl-just plain fun!"

She put one hand on her hip and smiled, coming up to Betty, in between Natalie. "Betty, listen, can I talk to you for a second?" Betty nodded. She was surprised, thinking at first that Amanda had simply been trying to sit next to Natalie.

"What's up, Amanda?"

She smiled, "Well, I just wanted to say congratulations, Betty. Daniel is totally in love with you, you know. I guess your little make-over really worked. You definitely turned his head."

"What? He said THAT? Daniel said he's in LOVE with me? Amanda, I don't believe you. You're making that up. Is this some kind of joke?" She eyed her suspiciously.

She shrugged, "Come on, Betty! Why do you think he was so jealous of Hairy?"

"HENRY!"

She shrugged, "Whatever! You know, his friend told me in college, he always dated short, curvilicious girls like you, and that he actually got off on girls with glasses, because he liked the fact that he could get a smart girl to lose it with him!" She figured she would throw in some facts to make Betty believe her.

She put up her hand, "Swear to Prada, Betty! Just ask him, if you don't believe me. His best friend told me. I bet his mom could tell you, too. He totally digs your type."

She found herself being drawn to one of Betty's papi's empenadas, in spite of herself. She grabbed one and ate it, "Mmmmm...so good!"

Betty was shocked. Amanda ate? She shook her head, "The models, Amanda? If he likes short, curvy women, why is he always with a bunch of models?"

"Um, duh! He works at a fashion magazine that his father started, Betty! The models all come to him! They know who he is and throw themselves at him. Of course he's going to 'date' them, they're easy for him.

But, actually, you should have seen him watch you today. He was drooling, believe me. Just...a word of advice. Let him know you're interested. That's all it's going to take, believe me. You are interested, aren't you?

Isn't that what all this is REALLY about?" she waved her hand at Betty. "I mean, let's be honest, Betty. Nobody, even you, does all this without wanting something. And I don't mean your JOB. You want Daniel. We both know it."

Betty got up and walked away. She couldn't deal with Amanda's meddling. She figured she was actually a little jealous.

That was interesting. Amanda jealous of her. But she was curious about all the things she said. She hurried back to her desk and called the rehab center where Claire was staying. "Mrs. Meade?

This is Betty Suarez, Daniel's assistant? Yes, it's good to talk to you again, too."

"Right. Betty. The one who is tryng to get my son out here to see me. That's so nice of you. So, I guess you're in love with Daniel?" Betty started to protest.

"It's fine, Betty. Believe me, I know how charming Meade men can be. He's very hard to resist, I'm sure. Daniel especially has this little boy thing, even though he's very much a man. I would suppose he's quite a bit older than you, in fact.?

Yet, he still seems boyishly handsome. In college, he had this cute little Brazilian girl he was crazy about. Salma, I think her name was. She was really pretty. He was nuts about her.

But his friend, Becks stole her, then his own brother, Alex dated her briefly. Daniel was heart broken. Betty _Suarez? Suarez, so that makes you what, Spanish?_" She laughed slyly.

"Mexican, actually."

"I see. Well, listen, why don't you come with Daniel today, Betty Suarez from Mexico? I'd love to meet you. I can tell you right away if my son's in love with you.

I already know you care for _him_, or we wouldn't be talking so much. Everyone knows the best way to a man is through his mommy!"she laughed again.

"I'll see what I can do, Mrs. Meade. Goodbye!"

Daniel came down past her desk, holding a huge book. He walked over to her, "This is 'The Book', Betty. I just got it from Wilhelmina. I thought I was going to have to pry it out of her bony hands. My father pretty much reamed me out for not realizing how important it is.

I have to have it with me at all times. Listen, when is that lunch with my mom? Do you think I could re-schedule?"

"No! Sorry, but I just got off the phone with her. You'd break her heart if you don't come visit her, Daniel. Bring the book with us."

"Us? You're coming with me to see my mom in rehab? Betty, I don't really think..."

"She insisted, Daniel. She said she wants to meet me. I"ll take the book if you want."

"No, it's fine. Maybe I should get one of those handcuff things to attach it to me like a briefcase."

She looked at him like he was five years old. His mom was right, he really did act like a little boy, sometimes.

They headed out, and she handed him his blackberry. "Here, you did leave it in the conference room. I found poor Natalie in there, feeling like she was a fat cow or something after you all made her feel terrible about herself! So, I gave her some of my pappi's empenadas I brought for lunch."

"Oh, so you already ate? I was going to ask you...if you wanted to get something while we're out. So, you ate lunch with Natalie, huh? That's cool."

"Daniel, you're missing the point, here. You all made her feel really bad about herself."

"Are we on this, again, Betty? I told you before, it's not ME. I agree, she looks great the way she is. But the camera adds weight and you heard Wilhelmina. I hate to admit it, but she's right, Mode sells fashion.

Unattainable, inspirational stuff. Not real women. They want what they can't have-everybody does, I guess."

"I see." She eyed him, with curiosity.

"What, now? What's with the look? You look all disapproving and judg-y, Betty."

"You don't know what I'm thinking, Daniel. You don't know me that well."

"Maybe not. But I can see you don't approve of me. You're pretty transparent about how you feel, Betty. That first week, when I let Philippe talk me into mistreating you, I did feel like if looks could kill, I'd be dead, for sure. Not that I blame you."

He smiled, weakly, not really all that sure about reminding her of what a terrible boss he had been.

She raised her eyebrows as if he had brought up a good point. "So, you don't personally like the whole, super skinny, the thinner the better thing?"

"_Personally_? No. Not really. But, I know that's what sells. So..." he shrugged.

"What kind of girls would you put on the cover? If it were really your call, would you leave Natalie's photos un-retouched?"

"Yeah, Betty. Yeah, I would. I think she looks really beautiful the way she is. Is that what you wanted to hear? But, it's not _really_ my call, is it?"

They arrived at Claire's facility. She sat, waiting in a day room. She looked up at Daniel, smiling as she saw him, and hugged him. He seemed a bit surprised, but hugged her back, patting her back. "Hey, mom. How are you?"

She looked over his shoulder, "This must be the beautiful Betty I've been talking to and who I owe this visit to. Hello, dear. It's good to finally meet you in person!"

Daniel stepped aside and gestured towards Betty, "Sorry, yeah, Mom, this is my new assistant, Betty Suarez. Betty, this is my mother, Claire Meade."

Betty smiled warmly, "Mrs. Meade. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I've enjoyed our chats."

Daniel furrowed his brow at the _s_ on the end of that word. How much had Betty and his mom been talking, he wondered?

Betty started to put out her hand, but Claire smiled, knowingly and hugged Betty. Daniel was shocked. He had been taken aback that she even hugged him, but for her to be so affectionate with Betty, when she just met her?

He found himself wondering if it was some form of therapy she was undergoing, hugging everybody. Or maybe Betty just brought it out of everyone?

After a very pleasant visit, they started to leave. Daniel got up and said he was going to see if the car was there yet. He hugged his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad you're feeling better, mom. I miss you."

She smiled, her eyes moist."I miss you, too, Daniel. Tell your fath...I love you, son."

He smiled, seeming surprised, "I love you, too, Mom." he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "Betty, just wait here, I'll see if the car's here, yet. Bye, Mom."

Betty looked nervous to be alone with this somewhat intimidating woman. But Claire smiled warmly at her. She came and sat next to Betty and put her hand on top of Betty's. "To answer your question, Betty. Daniel is definitely falling for you.

He couldn't take his eyes off you all afternoon. I know my son. And, if I'm not mistaken, you have the look of a woman who's fighting her attraction to him. I say, why fight it?"

Betty looked her straight in the eyes. She figured, she might as well be honest with the woman."I'll tell you why, Mrs. Meade. No offense, but your son is a bit of a Casanova.

I have ambitions within the company. I am not really much of a fashion person. This...how I look right now is the result of the hard work of four other people helping me to try and 'fit in' at Mode.

But, I have big plans for my life. I intend to own a magazine someday. My own magazine. And quite frankly, as charming as Daniel may be, letting him break my heart doesn't exactly fit into those plans."

Claire's smile spread across her face, lighting her up and making her appear much younger, and she leaned forward, "Betty, you are JUST what Daniel needs!

He needs someone sharp and driven, like you to inspire him and push him. He might actually surprise you and NOT break your heart, you know? He really is a good man, and he is smarter than he acts sometimes. He just has gotten lazy. Don't give up on him, though."

"I didn't say I had given up on him. I fully intend to be the best assistant he's ever had."

"You know, you two actually do seem to make a very good team. I mean, strictly professionally. You already finish each other's sentences and seem like you have a very friendly, comfortable working relationship."

"You're right. We do. Which is exactly WHY I wouldn't want to jeopardize that by mixing business with personal."

She shrugged, "Well, good luck with that, Betty. But sometimes, things just happen and you can't hide from them. It was lovely to have finally put a face with your voice.

I've enjoyed our conversations. Thank you for talking Daniel into visiting his mother. I'm very sorry about yours. I'm sure she'd be very proud of you, Betty."

"Thank you, Mrs. Meade. Take care of yourself." she suddenly leaned towards her and gave her a little half hug and a pat. Claire gasped at the girl's warmth in the brief contact.

She saw Daniel waving that the car had arrived for them and left.

Once they were sitting in the car, Daniel said, "Thanks, Betty. I guess you've been doing what I should have been and keeping contact with my mom." he looked as if something had just occured to him that totally took him by surprise.

"You did that last week, too, didn't you? When I was treating you like shit? That's way above and beyond." He looked at her and smiled.

She shrugged, looking down in her lap. She found she couldn't look him in the eyes right now. Not those unbelievably blue eyes. She couldn't help thinking about what Claire had said.

She was right. They did make a good team, already. They bounced ideas off each other. It was almost like they had known each other in another setting, or in another life together. She couldn't recall ever having met someone she felt so comfortable with so quickly. She was thrilled he was acting like himself again, instead of listening to that stupid Philippe.

That still annoyed her, but Betty had learned to be very forgiving. People hurt you and messed up, but it didn't have to keep you from trying again.

She had cut off one friend, on prom night, and regretted it sorely. She was the one who really suffered for her own lack of forgiveness then. So, lesson learned. She easily forgave Daniel.

He was still amazed by her ability to do so, however. He seemed mesmerized by her. Her new looks had gotten his attention, sure. But now, he was bowled over by how warm and genuine she had been with his mother. By how easily and completely she seemed to have gotten over his horrible treatment of her.

She changed the subject. "So, you are going to keep those un-retouched photos of Natalie in, after all? I'm proud of you, Daniel."

"Un-retouched?" he looked at her in panic.


	10. Chapter 10 A Chip Off the old Block

Chapter 10: A Chip Off the Old Block

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Ugly Betty!

_This was pretty fun to write. I hope you enjoy picturing Daniel get 'dismissed' by Vincent half as much as I did!_

Of course, Daniel knew Wilhelmina had been the one to switch out the photos of Natalie, but since he couldn't prove it, because he didn't catch it when she first handed him the book, he finally listened to Betty and approached Natalie herself to tell her what had happened.

She surprised everyone by agreeing to run the photos as they were. Betty encouraged her, telling her it would be a bold and positive statement to women to accept their bodies.

In fact, it ended up causing several other magazines to run their own "real bodies" features, using various other stars courageous enough to approve similar un-retouched photos spreads of themselves.

At the end of the day, Amanda approached Daniel to go to the Met with her and 'do naughty things.'

They started to leave, but as he passed Betty's desk, he stopped, "Hey, don't forget, my first launch party is tomorrow night, Betty.

You're coming, right? I thought maybe we could talk about our meeting with Vincent Bianchi next week."

She glanced over at Amanda, who was giving her a confident smile. Betty just nodded, "Sure, boss. Have a nice night. I'll see you guys later."

Daniel looked at Betty as if he wanted to talk some more, but Amanda pulled him away, grabbing his arm. "Come on, handsome. I've got plans for you in the box tonight. Ooh, that even sounds dirty to me!"

The next night, Betty felt strange, getting dressed up for Daniel's party. She showed the bouncer her ID badge and he laughed, handing it back to her, "Uh, this ain't you, lady. This looks like your kid!"

She realized she hadn't gotten an updated ID picture since she had her original braces, that first day at Mode. She tried to show the bouncer, "Look, I got different braces, but you can still sort of tell if you get close."

"Sorry, lady. You're not on the list."

"Well, she should be. She's my assistant. Hey, Betty. There you are. Come on in." Daniel walked over and took her hand to lead her inside.

"Thank you, Daniel. That guy was annoying."  
"Ah, yeah, I guess that's his job, to keep cute little hellraisers like you out, so you don't brighten up the joint too much. Hey, sorry, there's my father.

I guess it's another wonderful father/son photo op. Not that I could ever replace his precious Alex. Sorry. You didn't come here to hear my personal problems, Betty.

Go have fun, dance, drink, celebrate! I'll catch up with you later, as soon as I get through the last round of pictures. Then you can try to tell me how you got Bianchi to agree to take my meeting, okay? That even impressed my dad.

In fact, on second thought, you got a minute? Come on, you might as well see if you can charm my dad as much as you did my mom. I don't know what the hell you said to her the other day when you met her but she's been bugging me to propose to you ever since you guys talked.

Who knows, maybe you can actually get my dad off my back for being such a screw up. You seem to be the only person on the planet other than my drunk mother who doesn't think I'm a worthless playboy."

She gulped down a drink of champagne before he took her over to talk to a small group of reporters and his father. Wilhelmina was trying to stay hidden among some plants, and was wearing her sunglasses.

Marc had been running around China Town all morning, and he had finally located the 'clinic' where Fabia had supposedly gotten her fabulous skin treatment. But, unfortunately, for Wilhelmina, something went horribly wrong and her skin puffed up terribly around her eyes.

Marc was trying to be her 'seeing eye bitch' and guide Wilhelmina around. He fed her bites of hors d'ouvres and held a glass of champagne up for her.

Betty was always extra nervous around Daniel's father. He was far more intimidating than Claire. He looked at her as if he had no idea who she was.

When she said hello, he stuck out his hand for Daniel to introduce them. "Daniel, aren't you going to at least introduce me to your girlfriend?"

Betty smiled, "No, sir. I'm Daniel's assistant, Betty Suarez."

"No, you're not. I hired Betty Suarez myself. Wait. Oh. I see. Betty! Well, don't you clean up nicely? I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you. Good job on the Fabia account. I was also impressed with how you handled the photo fiasco with Natalie.

That could have been a real disaster. Daniel has been singing your praises all night. It seems he's actually glad that I hired you. I was very pleased to see him taking an interest in the company he is supposed to inherit one day.

I don't mean to be blunt, but I sincerely hope his uh...appreciation for your skills are purely professional, Betty. I hired you specifically to help Daniel stay focused on his job. Not on you."

"Dad! Please! You have no idea how hard Betty has been working. Just because she...wanted to fit in better at Mode, is no reason to think the worst of me. Or that's fine, I deserve you to think I would do what I always do with women.

But, Betty would never allow me to get off track. She's helped me try to do my job well. Which I thought was the whole reason you hired her. Just because I might WANT to sleep with her doesn't mean she would want me to, or let me. In fact, she's too good a person to want your damaged son, okay!"

He walked off, seething with anger. Betty looked at Bradford, "You know, you're wrong not to trust Daniel, sir. I don't mean about me. I mean, he's been really trying hard to please you. But he feels like no matter how hard he tries, you'll always compare him to Alex; that he'll never measure up.

I'm sure that's not the kind of relationship you want to have with your only son. Alex is gone. But Daniel's right here and all he wants is to make you proud of him."

Betty left Bradford staring after her. Wilhelmina tried to speak to him, "Poor Daniel. Betty's right, Bradford. He really is trying. I just don't think he'll ever have his brother's instincts. Let's face it. You've either got it or you don't."

"Jesus, Willi, what the hell happened to you? Why are you wearing sunglasses? Oh, bad eye job?" She nodded, lifting her glasses briefly then replacing them, as he cringed.

Betty tried to find Daniel later, but he had left the party. She stayed and danced, seeing some people she knew that actually were somewhat nice to her.

The next afternoon, she got a call from Daniel. "Hey. Can you meet me for lunch?"

"Downtown?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you live in Queens. Do you want me to send a car for you? We can meet at Tavern on the green. If you're free."

"To talk about Vincent?" She wanted to make certain this was a business lunch.

"Yeah. It's business, Betty. No worries. I might talk your ear off bashing my dad, a little, but hands to myself. I promise. You can trust me." he teased.

"I trust you, Daniel. I'll meet you at 1?"

"Good. I'm calling now to have a car pick you up. I'll see you at one then."

When she got there, Betty saw that Daniel had 'had a few' before she sat down. She asked the waiter for a white wine. "So, how many do I need to ask for to catch up to you, Daniel? Have you been drinking all night because you fought with your dad?"

"See, how do you know that kind of stuff about me, Betty? It's like you're in my head or something all the time. You do know...I think about you a lot?"

"Daniel, I'm really not comfortable with you saying stuff like that. What did you want to know about Vincent Bianchi?"

"Did you guys date or something in Queens? What did you promise him to get him to meet with me? I guess I just want to make sure you didn't have to make any kind of deals you weren't comfortable with making."

"If you mean did he ask me out, then the answer is yes. Sort of. I mean, he doesn't know me from Adam. We just talked on the phone twice and then he called that time at work when he spoke to you, too.

He said that maybe after the business part of the lunch he and I could catch up, that's all. Talk about the neighborhood."

"I see. So, in other words, I need to make my pitch and then leave you two alone? I don't know if I'm comfortable doing that, Betty.

I don't know this guy and really, neither do you. Sorry, but the fact that he's from Queens is not necessarily making me feel totally warm and fuzzy about leaving you alone with him."

"Hey! I'm from Queens, remember? We're not all gang members and murderers, you know!"

"I know that! That's not what I meant and you know it. I just want you to know I don't expect you to do anything with this guy just to you know, get ahead, that's all."

"Daniel, you don't need to protect me. I'm a grown woman. If I do any dating or anything with Vincent, it will be strictly personal, because we get along. Not to 'sell myself', okay? But thank you for your concern."

They enjoyed the lunch for the most part. Daniel switched to coffee and started sobering up a bit. "I'm sorry about the stuff my dad said to you last night, Betty. He really likes you, you know. He said that hiring you was the best thing he ever did. At least that's one thing we agree on.

He also told me I'd better not piss you off and let you quit or he'd fire me. How is it that you have both my folks wrapped around your finger within less than a month? I'm still scared to death of both of them, especially my dad after thirty-three years of living with them!"

"Is that tomatoes?" Daniel was looking at her salad.

"Yeah. You want mine, right?" she said.

"Sure. If you don't mind."

"You know I don't like them, Daniel. Yes, please, take them. They're gross."

He laughed and they finished their meal, with Betty trying to fill Daniel in on some of the interesting people and places from her neighborhood.

Monday, there was a brief meeting before Daniel and Betty's meeting with Vincent. Daniel wanted to pitch his new ideas for Mode to everyone. Bradford seemed impressed, surprisingly.

He stood up and looked at Betty, then to Daniel. "Sometimes, change is can be a very good thing. You take something that is already great, and make it even better. Of course, change isn't always positive. Many times, change can really mess things up."

He glance at Willi, still wearing her sunglasses and hat. There were a few giggles around the room. Marc made a fake sympathetic face to Willi.

Bradford looked at Daniel and patted him on the back, "Good luck, Daniel. This is something Alex messed up for Mode. Now, thanks to Betty, you have a chance to fix it. I believe in you, son."

Daniel looked at his father, in shock. "Thanks, dad. I'll do my best. Come on, Betty. This is really your meeting. I'm just there to offer the proposal. You're my ace in the hole with this guy."

As they got up to leave, Betty turned back to Bradford to give him a huge smile and a thumbs up. He looked at her rather strangely, then awkwardly put his own thumb up and gave her a small, but definite smile.

They arrived to see Vincent waiting for them. He lit up when he saw Betty, "Hey, you! You must be Betty Suarez! Wow! I should go back to the old neighborhood more often, I guess!

I can't believe we grew up four blocks from each other all those years. That's awesome. Thanks again for that sandwich, Betty. It was so good. I forgot how great Sal's was. It's been way too long."

Betty smiled as he gave her a big hug. Daniel wondered now if the hugging was just a Queens thing. He offered his hand, "Hi, Mr. Bianchi. I appreciate you agreeing to meet with me. Betty here is a huge fan of your work.

I wanted to work with you, of course when she first suggested how much she liked your stuff. I was just glad you were willing to start over with me."

"Well, now wait a minute, Meade. I haven't said I was definitely going with you guys, YET. I think I might have to hi-jack Betty first and make her go out with me at least two or three times before I make my decision."

Daniel looked uncomfortable. "Well, that's strictly up to Betty if she chooses to do that, but I don't really think we should make her..."

"Relax, Daniel. I was kidding. Mostly. As soon as we figure out which of these five forks to use in this place, maybe I'll listen to your pitch and then after you go back to your office, Betty and me can talk about old times in the neighborhood. If she wants to, of course."

Betty handed Daniel the proposal and after he had offered Vincent a four page spread, with total creative control, Daniel told him, "Look, Vincent, I just want to say, I'm not my brother.

Whetever argument you had with him, I want to start fresh. I feel like we could help each other here. I'm just starting out and I want to make my own mark at Mode. I don't want to be Alex. What I do want is the best and you're it. So, I hope you'll be willing to come work with me."

Vincent leaned back in his chair and smiled, then he tilted his head towards Betty and winked, "You were right, Betty. This guy is way more humble than his stupid brother. Daniel, you seem like a stand up guy.

But you'd better know, if it weren't for Betty, here, I wouldn't give you the time of day. So, she'd better get a raise. And maybe some time off. So she can go out with me, if she wants to, that is."

Betty giggled, "I'd love that, Mr. Bianchi. I mean, Vincent. Thank you."

"Okay, Meade. We're done. I took your meeting. I'll work with you. I'll be happy to see that Miss Suarez gets home safely. Bye now!"


	11. Chapter 11 Big Brother is Watching

Chapter 11: Big Brother is Watching

Disclaimer: I don't own UB!

_A little 'action' on this one. Not with Daniel...sorry. We're so not 'there' yet! Be patient! All's well that ends well, right?_

Daniel looked at Betty to make sure she was okay being left alone with Vincent. She nodded and smiled. Daniel drew a breath and got up from his seat. He threw down some cash for a tip.

"I'll just go take care of the bill on my way out. Order whatever you want. It's on me. Thanks again, Vincent. Betty, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good time." He smiled at her weakly.

He glanced back over his shoulder as he left to see Vincent leaning forward, talking to Betty and both of them laughing.

He buttoned his winter coat and turned up the collar, pulling at his scarf as he pulled out his phone to call for his car. Once he was inside, he clenched his jaw, silently. After a moment, he pulled out his phone again.

"Amanda? It's Daniel. What are you doing? Do you want to go out somewhere? I'm on my way back from Madison Six. Yeah, go ahead, send out a memo to all departments; we got Vincent.

Oh, yeah. She's uh…catching up with him about the neighborhood, I guess. Yeah, he's kind of an ass. I sort of see why he and Alex fought.

I guess two asses don't work well together. Okay. I'll see you there. Hey. Wear something sexy that I can take off you easily." He laughed slightly.

Late that night, Betty got home. Vincent pulled up to her house in his Ferrari. "Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've been in the old neighborhood. My dad owns…."

"I know, the Lemon Ice. Remember, I told you, Hilda and I used to work there over the summer."

"Why don't I remember you? I used to check out all the hot girls my dad had workin' there." He grinned.

She blushed. "You probably would remember Hilda more than me, then. She's always been pretty. Me, not so much."

"What are you talkin, Betty? You're gorgeous!"

"Thank you."

He leaned forward as if he were going to kiss her.

She blushed and sat, glued to her seat, her eyes getting wider and wider, until he stopped, and laughed.

"Betty, I'm sorry, honey, do you NOT want me to kiss you or something?"

She shrugged, "I don't not want you to not kiss me. I mean, that didn't come out right. I just meant to say,

you can kiss me if you want to, Vincent. I guess I'm just a little concerned about us going out affecting you working at Mode, that's all."

He sat back against his seat, putting his hands on the steering wheel, and gripping it tightly. "So, Betty, can I ask you something?"

"No."  
"No? No, I can't ask you anything?"

"No, I was just answering what I think you were probably going to ask, that's all."

"How do you know what I'm going to ask you?"

"Let me guess, you were going to ask if there is something going on between me and Daniel?"

He put one hand out to gesture, "Yeah. So? Is there? Cause he seemed kind of…I don't know, what's the word I'm lookin for here, protective of you or somethin."

"Yes, well. He does that. He sort of acts all big brotherly towards me."

"Brother, huh? Well, that's good, then. So, there's nothing romantic with you two, then?"

"No. Definitely not. I think he was sort of surprised to see me without the metal braces and glasses and it almost gave him a heart attack that I didn't look so much like the geeky little assistant he had gotten used to at first.

But, other than that, he's back to his typical models and skinny girls of the week, or night, I should say.

Sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful to my boss. Daniel's actually a pretty nice guy. I just don't necessarily agree with his 'dating' practices, that's all. But, que sera, sera, right?"

"Right. So, you guys are like big brother, little sis, then? So, he's not gonna get all bent outta shape, if I say, do this, then?" He leaned over again, this time, kissing Betty full on the lips.

She gradually slid her arm around him and kissed him back. They kissed for a few minutes, and he pulled away, raising his eyebrows. "It's sure nice to be back in the borough!"

"Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah! Really?"

She realized what he must be thinking when she started stammering, "Oh, uh, I mean, this is my pappi's house. I live here with him and my sister and her son."

"I get it. So, you want me to meet your family already? I'm flattered." He grinned.

"I…I…" she was at a loss of what to say.

He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll tell you what, Betty. Why don't I take you out again tomorrow night? I'll come here and pick you up and your old man can see if he thinks I'm good enough to go out with his little girl then?

Who knows, maybe I'll even bring you some flowers or something, do it right? Does that sound okay to you, sweetie?"

She nodded, and smiled. "Yes! It sounds great. Oh, where are we going?"

He pursed his lips, "I don't know. How about Grimaldi's? They gotta good pie, right? Nowhere that you need five forks, anyway. That place today was a little fancy for us, huh?"

She giggled, "I know, right? Oh, crap! I forgot to get my nephew a matchbook like he asked me."

He laughed. "That's sweet. How old is he?"

"Twelve. Going on twenty-one, I think. You should have seen him on my first day at Mode! He stopped me on the steps and made me wear this black dress I bought for a funeral and found all this jewelry and my shoes, well, actually my sister's shoes."She giggled.

He laughed, "I see. Your nephew's going to be in fashion, too, then?"

"I guess so. He knew way more about Mode than I did when I first started working there. He is always trying to shove all these little factoids about it to me at dinner. I take it you don't really like fashion?"

"Nah, not so much. I didn't just walk away from Mode before because of the thing with Alex. I don't like the whole fake crap, really. I consider myself more of an artist, you know?"

"Then, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Betty. Shoot."

"Did you only agree to do the shoot for Daniel because of me?"

He shrugged, "Well, kind of, yeah. Let's just say, you got my attention. Is that okay?"

She smiled, "I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow, Vincent. Thanks for dinner."

"Don't thank me. Your uh…big brother paid tonight. So, I guess I still owe you dinner. Goodnight."

She got out. She waited for a second, but started to go inside. He shook his head, and jumped out, quickly.

"Sorry, Betty! I shoulda got the door for you."

"It's okay. I'm not that old-fashioned."

"Still, my mom'd hit me upside the head if she knew I wasn't bein a gentleman." He walked her up to her door, and leaned against the door frame, backing her up to the door. "See you tomorrow. Eight o'clock?"

She nodded and he leaned in and gave her another kiss, this one slightly more lingering than the first.

"Bye, Betty from Jackson Heights!" he winked at her and got back into his car and drove off.

Betty leaned against her door, smiling. She went inside and Hilda and Justin were sitting on the couch. "Who was THAT?" Hilda looked at her raising her eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a date tonight."

"Yeah, wasn't that a Ferrari? He's rich!" asked Justin.

"Justin, you know cars?" Betty was surprised.

He shrugged, "If they're Italian! Who was driving it?"

She smiled, "Oh, just Vincent Bianchi, that's all."

"That guy whose family owned the Lemon Ice we worked at? What's he doin that he can afford a car like that?"

"Mom! Vincent Bianchi is a really well-known photographer. You really need to listen sometimes. I try to teach you about things that are important, but you never pay attention. Wow, Aunt Betty! That's great."

"So, how was it, and when did you guys start dating all of a sudden?"

"Don't you remember, I told you I was going with Daniel to help him pitch Vincent on working at Mode for the holiday issue?"

He agreed to do it, and then after Daniel went back to work, Vincent and I started talking about the neighborhood and one thing led to another, and we went to a club and listened to some music tonight, and he asked me out tomorrow, too. He's taking me to Grimaldi's."

"What? Why is he taking you there? Why doesn't he take you somewhere nice? He can afford a Ferrari and he takes you to Grimaldi's?"

"You don't understand, Hilda. He just missed the old neighborhood, that's all. I'm sure we'll go to fancier places, sometimes. Although he's not really a fancy kind of guy. He was making fun of all the forks at Madison Six today at lunch."

"You went to Madison Six, that's right! Where is my matchbook?" Justin demanded.

"I'm sorry, Justin, I forgot. I promise, next time, I'll get you one." Betty started eating one of the tamales her father had left out.

"Ooh, listen to miss fancy pants, next time I go to the la-di-dah restaurant." Hilda teased.

Ignacio came downstairs, rubbing his eyes, "Betty? You're just now getting home from work? I swear, I'm going to give that Daniel Meade a piece of my mind, keeping you out working this late on a Monday night, too? How does he expect you to do your job when you get no sleep, mijah?" He hugged her.

"Oh, no, pappi, Betty wasn't with Daniel working, she was out with her new rich boyfriend, the one who grew up her, Vincent Bianchi. He just dropped her off from his Farrari!"

"That kid? I told you, Betty, he used to be kind of a hellraiser. He and that Ratoli kid down the block used to get into all kinds of trouble when they were younger. He's just lucky he learned how to take pictures and got a break."

"I know, I know, or he would have ended up in jail. Pappi, you told me this already, ay!"

"Don't you know, pappi? Betty secretly LIKES bad boys." Hilda teased as they headed upstairs to go to bed.

"I DO NOT, Hilda!"

"Oh, please, Betty. If you woulda ever let Bobby Talercio and me have two seconds together, he'da been Justin's dad, instead of Santos! But I knew you had your own little crush on Bobby."

"Mom, TMI, please!"

"Yes, please! I don't want to hear this!" Ignacio shook his head, cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Well, go to bed, Justin. The show's over now. Your Aunt Betty's done making out in the car and on the porch. And, sorry, pappi! Good night!"

Betty hit her on the arm. "Hilda, you guys were watching?"

Hilda grinned, "WHAT? That car sounded so loud, it woke us up."

The next morning at Mode, Betty came in, yawning, holding Daniel's coffee and bagel as she drank her own large coffee.

Daniel was already in his office, on his laptop. Betty looked surprised to see him, "Daniel! You're already here. Good morning." She placed the coffee and bagel on the edge of his desk.

"Good morning, Betty. Rough night?" he raised his eyebrows as she yawned again.

She smiled weakly, "Vinnie took me to hear this great band for a while and we were out kind of late."

"Vinnie? I see."he looked back at his computer, and started typing.

"So, we need to get some of the models in here later today and we'll have to put together some proposals for various sponsors. We're going to promote the crap out of having the 'great Vincent Bianchi' as our photographer."

Betty caught the sarcasm in Daniel's voice. She ignored it and continued to take notes. "Got it, Daniel. Do you need me to send out a memo to all departments to let them know Vincent's doing the...?"

"I already had Amanda do that yesterday while you and Vinnie were on your little date."

"Okay. Good."  
"Great!"  
"So...what do you need from me, then?"

"Nothing. I think we're done here." he said, rather tersely.

"Fine." Betty bit her lip, before turning on her heel to go back to her office.  
"Fine."

After going through mail and messages, Betty waited till Daniel had left for a meeting with his father to place them on his desk, then she headed to see Christine.

On the way there, she ran into Henry. Literally. "Henry!" she looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey, Betty! How have you been?"  
"Great. How about you?" she asked, somewhat nervously.

"Listen, I..uh...I meant to tell you, congratulations on getting Vincent Bianchi to do the holiday issue, Betty! That was awesome. Everyone at Mode is talking about it. They're all saying the way you keep going, you're going to get Wilhelmina's job."

"Really? Oh, my goodness. I hope not! I don't really know anything about fashion. I want to be an editor."

He looked surprised, "Really, Betty? I see. So, is that why everyone is saying you and Daniel are fighting? You want HIS job? Whoa! you really ARE ambitious, huh? More power to you."

"You listen to gossip too much, Henry. I don't want Wilhelmina's job or Daniel's. I'm just happy where I am for now. I just started here. I have tons of things to learn before I get any promotions, I'm sure."

"I don't know, Betty. There was a lot of talk about, well, sorry, I know I'm repeating gossip, again here. But, supposedly, Bradford complimented you about your positive changes and sort of 'dissed and dismissed' Miss Slater for a botched eye job!

Plus, with you getting this great new photographer that Daniel's brother couldn't get..."

"Well, thanks, Henry, but...the gossip mill seems to be running overtime. A lot of that stuff is a complete exaggeration. I didn't do that much.

I just knew Vincent a little because he's from my neighborhood, that's all. I just got him to the meeting. Daniel is the one who sold him."

Daniel was just getting off the elevator when he overheard Betty's conversation. She looked up. "Daniel!"

Henry made a tight smile, "I'll see you later, Betty."

"Okay, Henry." She had wanted to ask him about the rumor Daniel had told her about him, but Daniel grabbed her hand and pulled her into his office.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" She said as he shut the door, and paced behind his desk, running his hand through his hair as he did.

"Listen, Betty. We need to talk."

"Are you breaking up with me or something?" she tried to lighten the mood. She really didn't know why he'd been so mad before because just because she'd gone out with Vincent.

He seemed to not care at the restaurant. Maybe he was afraid it would cause a problem for the shoot.

"Daniel, is this because you're afraid me dating Vincent will somehow cause a problem with him working at Mode, I asked him about that."

"What? Oh, no, well, I guess it could, but that's really not it. I just wanted to say I was sorry about earlier. You have a right to date whoever you want. I didn't mean to butt in or anything.

I just...well, I thought the guy was a little rude to me yesterday, but he...

I get it if you're into the tough guy from the hood or whatever, that's your perogative."

"No, you're right, Daniel. He was rude to you. I would have probably mentioned something to him last night. But, I honestly was taking things carefully, because I don't want to scare him away from doing this.

Plus, I think he was just sort of staking his claim or something."

"His claim? Oh...oh, you mean, his claim on you? He thought I?"

"I guess so. He asked me about us and I said you were like a big brother, sort of protective, but that was it, so...I think it's all good, now. He got it.

I'm sure he won't treat you like that now that he knows you and I aren't...you know."

"A brother? That's how you see me, huh? Okay."

She shrugged, "I guess. Sort of...I didn't really know what else to tell him."

"No, that's fine. So, I'm like your brother."

"Is there anything else, Daniel?" She really wanted to go talk to Christine. Plus she did actually have work to do. She didn't know why he was acting so strangely.

He shook his head, then, looked up, "Oh, I heard what you told Henry. You don't have to do that, Betty."

"Do what?"

"Always try to make me look good. You DESERVE credit for this. Let's be honest. Bianchi would never be doing this if it weren't for you. So enjoy it.

I think my dad wants to congratulate you, this Friday. He asked about you. Listen, you deserve...all the credit. No more giving it to me, when you've done the work, okay?"

"But, Daniel...You aren't giving yourself enough credit. All I did was get Vincent to talk to you. You still sold him. That was great what you said about not wanting to be Alex and how Vincent was the best and you wanted the best."

He grinned, "Always with the pep talks. I told you my degree from Hah'vahd is a BS degree, right? So, in other words, a degree in B.S." he looked at her.

"Ha, ha, Daniel. Not true. I know you THINK you didn't earn it, but you sell yourself short. You're much better than you think you are."

"Thanks, Betty. I'll try to keep that in mind. You know, I could say the same thing about you."


	12. Chapter 12 Sisters Just Know

**Chapter 12: Sisters Just Know**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its characters (wish I did!)

_This is all pretty much Betty! Mostly inner monologue, with some family interaction. No worries, the next chapter is going to involve LOTS of Daniel, with Betty and a bit of 'Vinnie' thrown in! But, I felt this was important to show where Betty's head is right now. Be patient, Detty is coming, I promise!_

Being Vincent Bianchi's girlfriend was proving to be….well, interesting, Betty was finding. Although Walter's infidelity had in some ways helped to spur Betty into making the changes to her appearance, she did recognize that Vincent certainly had his faults, too.

While much more attractive, and interesting, she also found him to be rather egotistical, and often thoughtless.

She remembered standing outside the conference room as she saw Vincent throwing chairs around. She was worried and confused.

It seemed there had been a security 'leak' to Isabella magazine. Betty, Amanda, and Marc had all been party to it, and although everything was eventually resolved, with their jobs secure and Fat Carol discovered to be the main person to spill all Mode's details to Carlo Medina, Betty was still nervous to confess to Vincent that she had been a part of it.

Daniel had been supportive, telling her he didn't want to lose her. Vincent, while initially upset about having to change the layout, seemed to roll with the changes to do a send up to Fey, with an empty sleigh, and told Betty not to worry about it.

She personally didn't particularly care for the whole initial idea anyway, some crazy post-apocalyptic themed Christmas with tanks and flak jackets, it didn't seem very 'Christmas-y to Betty, but what did she know?

Vincent had seemed inspired and talked her ear off about the artistic edge it was going to have. She had frankly been bored, but tried to nod and smile when they had met for lunch a few times during the week.

Betty had been dreading 'Vinnie' meeting her father, especially since she and Ignacio were having a bit of a stand-off on the subject of whether or not Vincent was a good enough boyfriend for her. In fact, they had put it off several times.

She told her father, "Papi, listen, Vincent is not perfect, I know. But, you were willing to encourage me to settle for Walter! A guy who cheated on me with that, that…slut, Gina Gambaro!

Vincent is actually a very nice guy. He knows the neighborhood and he understands where I come from. He is sensitive and artistic and he…he doesn't go out with a different woman every night like some people!

He may not be the most gentleman-ly guy and maybe we don't have a super passionate relationship but he's kind to me and HE thinks I'm beautiful!

Do you have any idea what that's like for ME? To be with a man who thinks I'M beautiful?

At least HE doesn't treat me like a child! He treats me like a grown woman. A woman he wants and that is good enough for him, on his level.

It's a much healthier relationship. I don't feel so out of my element with Vincent."

Hilda had been listening (since Betty raised her voice considerably).

Betty and her papi had not been getting along as well as normal anyway, since Betty found out her father was using a fake social security number and was actually an illegal immigrant, but he refused to talk about it.

Surprisingly, he didn't yell back at Betty about Vincent this time, just looked at her and said, "Okay, mijah.

You bring him here before you go out with him Friday and I'll give him a chance. If you're sure he's the right one for you." He hugged her and kissed her on the top of her head.

When Betty went to her room, Hilda knocked on her door frame and came in. "Hey, mammi. I was wondering. Who exactly is it you were comparing Vincent to just now?"

"You heard, huh? I guess I was louder than I meant to be." She was lying down on her bed, now, calmed down considerably.

"Are you kidding, Betty? I think the whole freakin' neighborhood heard all that! What I can't quite figure out is who you were talking about just now that Vincent is so much better than supposedly.

Who is this person who treats you like a child and goes out with a different woman every night and is out of your element? Cause that sure as hell isn't Walter!

I understand, Walter cheated on you, so that's really hard to forgive. And believe me, I get the whole bad boy appeal that Vincent has for you.

You know how I felt about Santos…and Bobby Talercio. I can see how exciting that kind of guy can be, believe me!

But I've seen you with Vincent and one other thing you mentioned that just really doesn't make sense to me, Betty. There is no passion with Vincent, is there? I mean, maybe for him, he definitely seems into you. But for you, I think you're faking it.

I guess the real mystery is, who is this other guy you keep comparing Vincent to? The one that you think treats you like a kid and is for some reason unreachable, the one who goes out with a bunch of other women.

Gee, Betty, I can't imagine who THAT guy could possibly be? Maybe the same guy you initially did your whole little transformation for in the first place?

I don't know, but to me, it just seems like you totally gave up on Daniel without even trying. Now you two, you had some heat! I saw it the first time I saw you together. Plus, he's always calling you at all hours, needing your help on things.

I mean, I know what a jerk he was that first week, but you said yourself, Betty; he's changed. I don't understand why you don't…"

"Hilda, you don't know Daniel. Yes, he's gotten better. He is trying to do his job and I'm trying to help him. But as far as he and I are concerned, it just isn't possible.

First of all, he's my boss. I get enough people spreading all kinds of nasty rumors about us, about how I got my job. He has a really bad reputation with women and for good reason.

Remember when I first started and Amanda and Marc tricked me into dressing up for Halloween only to find out I was the only one?

Well, since Daniel was dealing with his mom and the whole thing with Fey's jewelry box I told you about, he sent ME out looking for his watch. I got his underwear thrown at my head, and cursed at, it was ridiculous!

I told him from then on to clean up his own messes when it came to all his women. We got into a huge fight. Besides, Amanda is in love with him. She's not terrible to me all the time, and she is waiting for Daniel to settle down.

I think he was hurt because I told Vincent he and I were like brother and sister or something, but what was I supposed to say?

That I sort of like him a little, but I have no intention of being just another one of 'Daniel's girls'? I do NOT want to end up like Amanda, just waiting around for him to decide he's ready to stop sleeping around!

His father asked me to keep an eye on him, to make sure he does his job, without getting sidetracked. He also told me to be careful not to let Daniel 'turn my head' I think he put it.

He said that if I can keep his son on track and well, keep him at arms' length, that we can both be rewarded.

Wilhelmina is doing all kinds of sneaky things, including sending Marc to spy on us to get his job. I just don't have the time or the energy to figure out anything between Daniel and me, other than working together.

We do that pretty well. We make a great team, at work, Hilda. Anything else would just get too… complicated right now.

So, I hear you, I even agree, I…do find him attractive. But, think about it, Hilda. Do I even remotely look like Daniel's type? With or without glasses, braces, nicer clothes, and hair….whatever.

I'm still just me, Betty Suarez from Queens. I have my body and that's just fine with me. I don't want to be some little stick figure model. I don't want to be Amanda.

No matter what you say, and I've thought at times he was sort of attracted to me, too. But we were wrong, that's what he wants. And I'm fine with that. I told you about my dream I had that we were really good friends for years.

So, maybe that's all we're ever supposed to be, just friends. I can live with that. Daniel is nice, but he's just not the guy for me. Vincent is more my type."

"In what universe is that rude guy your type, Betty? I know he hasn't cheated on you, like Walter, but then again, you haven't been going out that long. Have you guys even had sex, yet?"

"NO! We've only been dating less than a month."

"Huh, I'm surprised he's been willing to wait that long. A guy like him, I would imagine he is getting pretty anxious to uh…seal the deal."

"Hilda! We haven't really been out every night, we have both been busy, so, we've only actually gone out say four or five times, plus several lunches.

I've been trying to find a way to smooth things over with papi, too, especially since he and I have not been getting along as well as usual."

"You know you'll get over that. Papi will tell us his secrets when he's ready, Betty."

"I know. But, I just need you to be behind me, Hilda. Both you and papi. I love you guys. You're my family. Why can't you see that Vincent is good for me?

He cares about me. I know he's not perfect. Neither am I. Who is? Certainly not Daniel Meade. He's fine for a friend. But hardly boyfriend material."

"Funny, Betty. I didn't even bring Daniel up. Like I said YOU'RE the one who keeps comparing Vincent to Daniel." She walked out of Betty's room, smiling.

Career-wise, Betty had been doing well. Wilhelmina had been trying to make Daniel look bad, but so far, she had been unsuccessful.

Sometimes, Betty got the distinct impression that Wilhelmina and Marc were trying to push her and Daniel together.

But she put it off to them listening to the rumor mill, which basically went that Betty had gotten her job by uh…servicing Daniel, just like his previous assistant.

Of course, her make-over was rumored to be Betty's attempt to gain Daniel's favor and to get him to promote her or date her.

Meanwhile, they did seem to get closer as friends. Betty knew her comfort with him might have been partially due to her detailed dreams.

It seemed like especially when she went to Dr. Frankel's and got her anesthesia, she was taken to that 'alternate reality', where she still looked like she did on her first week at Mode, and she and Daniel became great friends.

The dream always ended with her getting a job offer in London and leaving him behind in New York.

She was surprised to see in her dream that she became fairly close to Marc and Amanda. She also thought it interesting that in her 'dream', Bradford had died and she and Claire Meade had become extremely close.

She kept these things in mind, and quite often, she found that something she had imagined in fact happened, in exactly the same way she dreamt it would.

So, when Daniel told her about meeting Sofia Reyes, she tried to warn him that she was bad news and would betray him, but when he asked her how she knew, she knew he wouldn't believe she had had some sort of premonition, so she just told him she 'had a feeling.'

She got Christina to go with her to observe Hunter at the male strip club where he worked and they found him working there, just as Betty had dreamed. So, she planned on having Christina go with her to tell Daniel what they had found out.

Tonight, Vincent had told Betty he would finally meet her family and then they would go to The Black Duck, a seafood restaurant Vincent loved, where they had live jazz on the weekends.

Personally, she wasn't a big seafood lover (or jazz lover, for that matter), but it sounded nice.

But, just as she was getting ready to leave, Betty received a call from a bar in Manhattan, telling her that if she knew a Daniel Meade, she needed to come get him out of a bar, because he was dead drunk.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She called Vincent to see if he would mind meeting her there and helping her deal with Daniel. He was upset that she asked.

"Why is it your job to go rescue your boss from getting drunk in a bar, Betty? Doesn't the guy have any friends?"

"I am his friend, but, well, no. Not right now, he doesn't, Vinnie. He just lost his brother, as you know, and his best friend is some photographer that travels a lot. His mom has been in and out of re-hab lately.

I guess I could call Amanda. She's sort of his 'girlfriend' in a sense, but she's tiny. I was hoping you could help me get him into his apartment. Please?

I would have my papi do it, but we've not really been getting along all that well. It's okay. Maybe I could ask Henry." She knew he wouldn't allow that.

"That dorky accountant that's always sniffing around you at work? Ah, okay! I'll meet you there. Just text me the address!" he said, impatiently.

"Thanks, honey."

"It's okay, Betty. Just remember, you owe me, now. In fact, I think I know exactly how you can re-pay me, HONEY." he said somewhat suggestively.

"We'll see." She knew Hilda was right; she couldn't put sex off forever. But, she kept waiting to feel some kind of spark for Vincent that she had to admit, just wasn't there.

In fact, if she were perfectly honest with herself, she felt more attracted to Henry than to Vincent.

But, she had finally gotten the nerve to ask Henry about his girlfriend in Tucson and he had reluctantly admitted it was true.

She still remained friends with him, because he was a nice guy, but she refused to let her heart 'go there' with him, any more than she allowed herself to examine her emotions for Daniel.

She had been telling the truth when she told Claire Meade that she had no intention of letting her heart get broken and getting her off track with her career goals.

Betty had her pride hurt when Walter cheated on her. But, if she looked deep, she realized she had never given her heart to him, either.

He was in fact, the only man she had given her virginity to and that was bad enough. Walter was the first man to care about her enough to want her.

It didn't mean she didn't want to find happiness in her love life, too. She was just being very cautious, especially since she had been 'done wrong' once already, she had no intention of being hurt again.

Even though she was no longer the 'ugly girl', she still felt like she was constantly being compared to the skinny Mode girls and found wanting.

Maybe that explained why those girls were often subjecting themselves to food disorders, they never felt good enough.

She arrived before Vincent and saw Daniel, leaning against the bar. The bartender told her, "Yeah, your number was the one he had dialed the most, so I figured you were his girlfriend or something"

She nodded, "It's fine. Thanks! He's actually my boss. My boyfriend is on his way to help me get him home, though. He should be here soon."

"Daniel? It's me, Betty. I'm here."

"She didn't want me, Betty. She went off with that Hunter, with his perfect chin."

"Daniel, I've been trying to tell you, Sofia is not all she's pretending to be. She's been tricking you.

That Hunter is actually a stripper she paid to pretend to be her boyfriend, just to make you jealous."

He seemed to actually comprehend her, at least to some degree.

"What would I do without you, Betty?" he leaned close enough for her to smell the liquor on his breath.


	13. Chapter 13 The Rescue Mission

Chapter 13: The Rescue Mission

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its characters-except Betty's bunny!

"I think you'd do just fine, Daniel, with or without me. Right now, you're very drunk, though. Vinnie is on his way to help me get you home safe and sound so you can sleep it off.

Believe me, you'll feel...well, actually, you'll probably feel even worse tomorrow, but once you sleep it off, and then throw up a lot, you'll eventually feel better." She looked at him sympathetically.

Daniel made a face when she mentioned Vincent. He snorted, "Ha, Vinnie, huh? What the HELL are you doing with that guy, anyway, Betty? He so does NOT deserve you! He's an asshole.

I was worried about you hooking up with Henry boy at first and he was bad enough, knocking up some girl, but still going after you. But at least he seems nice to you.

That 'Vinnie' guy is such a dick to you! Don't you see how much better you deserve? You're like an angel or something.

You're so nice to everybody, even Marc and Amanda, god knows why, either, when they treat you like dirt. I treated you like dirt at first, too, and you just forgave me, like it was nothing.

How do you do that? How CAN you do that? You're just so sweet. But he is...an inconsiderate jerk. You shouldn't be with a guy like that."

"Yeah, well, it's good to hear what you REALLY think, Meade. When you're not bull-shitting me just to get me to do what you want, that is. I guess you really are just like your brother, after all. Betty, let's go. We can call this loser a cab and leave him here.

I'm sorry, honey, I came here because you asked me to, but I'm not going to put up with that kind of talk from richie rich here. It's not my fault the guy's got no friends. Is it any wonder? He acts like his crap don't stink."

"Vince! Please! He doesn't know what he's talking about. Don't take it seriously. He's just drunk. He doesn't really mean it.

Daniel, look, will you just shut up about Vincent and let us help you home?

I'm worried about you. You shouldn't really be by yourself like this. Should I call Amanda or something? Tell her to come stay with you at your loft?"

Vincent looked at Betty, "Yeah, why did he call you in the first place? Isn't that receptionist or whatever, that Amanda chick sort of his girl Friday or something? She always seems to be chasing around after him."

Daniel had turned away from Vincent, pretending he wasn't there and was trying to get the bartender to serve him again. To Daniel's dismay, he simply brought out another coffee and a glass of water, with two aspirin.

"Believe me, the way you've been downing em' tonight, buddy, you're going to need a whole lot more of those!"

Betty had gone to talk to Vincent, and try to reason with him, "I'm sorry he was so rude before. Like I said, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about right now. Just let it go in one ear and out the other, please? For me?" she placed her hand on his arm.

He grinned and said, "Like I said, Betty. You're gonna owe me after this! Especially if I have to take any more verbal abuse from the guy!" He kissed her on the cheek and put his arms around her waist, then whispered in her ear.

"I've been very patient, Betty Suarez. I'm normally not such a patient guy. You're definitely worth the wait, though."

"Why don't you get off of her, you jerk?" Daniel turned around, with his back to the bar and yelled at Vincent. "Can't you see, she's not interested?"

"Excuse me?" Vincent stepped towards Daniel.

Betty rushed to Daniel, "Daniel, _please stop!_ Vincent is only here because I asked him to come help me get you to bed, okay? So be nice to him."

"I sure as hell don't need HIS help and you definitely don't need anybody's help to get me into bed, Betty. All you ever had to do is say the word."

"Okay, that's it! Betty, I'm not putting up with this asswipe talking to you like that! He might be your boss, but he sure as hell ain't mine!"

Vincent punched Daniel square in the jaw and he hit the back of his head first on the bar, then collapsed on the floor in front of it.

"Daniel! Are you okay? Vincent! Oh my God! What is wrong with you? Why did you do that? What don't you get about the fact that he's drunk?

People say stupid things they don't mean when they've been drinking. Look, just go, okay? Now I have to put ice..." She went to ask the bartender for some ice.

Daniel smiled at Vincent. "Thanks. I needed that."

Vincent looked at him strangely. "What, for being an idiot?"

"No. I'M not the idiot. You are. You just blew it. And now, you just gave ME a shot." he touched the back of his head, then the side of his face where it was red from Vincent's punch, "totally worth it."

Vincent's eyes grew wide, "What, were you FAKING all that crap you said, just so you could get on her good side or something?" he looked at Daniel, who was smirking slightly.

"Betty! Get over here. Hey, you, is he really drunk? OR did he pay you or something? What the hell is this, huh? Betty, the guy isn't even that drunk! I think he's just trying to break us up so he can have you to himself."

Betty had gotten a dishtowel and wrapped it around some ice. She ignored Vincent, tending to Daniel. "I told you to leave. If you weren't going to help me, I don't know why you even came. I can't believe I fought with my family over you.

I defended you! I guess they were all right. You _are_ selfish and arrogant. I needed your help and now you've just made things worse! Just go, please! I...don't want to see you again, Vincent. This was a mistake."

"A mistake? Betty! Look, I'm telling you, he just now said I was stupid and he had a shot with you. I'm trying to warn you, I don't even think he's really that drunk. He's just trying to nail you or something, add you to his collection of women.

Fine! Don't believe me, believe him. I guess you're not happy being a Queens girl anymore. You think you'll be happier on Madison Avenue. Well, good luck, then! You deserve each other! It was nice knowing you, Betty." he shook his head and stomped off.

Betty had Daniel's head in her lap and was holding the ice on his jaw and the back of his head, alternately. She leaned down, to try to look at his eyes,

"Are you still okay? Maybe we should take you to the hospital, Daniel. I'm so sorry! I guess he thought he was defending my honor or something. I mean, you were being kind of a douche.

But, he had no right to hit you like that. I had the bartender call a cab. I"ll get you settled in at your place and call Amanda to come stay with you."

He put his hand over the top of hers, "Betty, I don't want Amanda. I just want you. And I just don't mean tonight."

She dismissed him, shaking her head, "Daniel. Stop it. You're drunk."

"Not THAT drunk."

"Yes, you are. You're just starting to sober up a little now, because they cut you off a while ago and started giving you coffee. Now you're a wide awake drunk, but you're still going to have one heck of a hangover tomorrow."

"Maybe. But it will be worth it if I get you to stay with me tonight."

"I'm not staying with you. Unless...I guess if you're sure you don't want me to call Amanda, I could stay on your couch or something.

Don't get any ideas. I just don't think you're supposed to be alone when you go to sleep really drunk . You could choke or something in your sleep."

He nodded and brushed her hair away from her face."You know you're really beautiful, don't you?"

"Right, says the drunk guy." she laughed.

"Like I said, I'm not really that drunk, Betty. Not anymore. I mean, I do think I might need a little help getting undressed."

"Daniel, you need to cut it out. You already totally ruined things with me and Vincent tonight. Don't add sexual harassment to you list of charges, okay?

You may not remember what you say tomorrow, but I have to and we have to work together. You're just going to make things more uncomfortable for us hitting on me. Besides, we both know you don't really mean what you're saying. I thought you were in love with Sofia."

"I sent Amanda over to that MYW place, disguised as a geek. It seems she was just trying to get me to propose to her so she could use me in some crazy article for her new magazine launch.

She's got to know, even though my old man and me haven't always been on the best of terms, he'd never have run it. It is his magazine, and I am his son."

"Well, good, I'm glad you saw through HER, but...what about Amanda? Don't you think she's more your type."

"She's a sweet girl, Betty. I know she had feelings for me, at one time, anyway. But...we talked. I don't really love her and she knows that.

She told me she is the one who had the watch. She said she's waiting for someone who really loves her."

"That's good. She can be sort of mean, but...she's got her good side. She's a good person underneath."

"I think that's your problem, Betty. You see the good in everybody. Maybe that's why you always are willing to settle for guys who are nowhere near good enough for you. First, the Wilbur guy who cheated on you and let's face it, had no chin.

Then Mister I think I'm a great artist cool guy but who had no manners whatsoever. He didn't even open doors for you and basically let me pay for what turned out to be your first date.

If I hadn't called tonight, he would have gotten way too far with you, just because you thought you owed him or something, right?"

"Frankly, that is NONE of your business, SIR!"

"I think I just saved you from making a really big mistake. Just like you saved me from making a huge mistake with Sofia. So, maybe, we should celebrate."

"I think you've done enough celebrating for both of us, Mister Meade." She helped him to his feet and into the cab.

"Yeah, but that's mainly because I'm done pretending you don't drive me crazy, Betty. I got drunk tonight because it's been driving me nuts to sit back and watch you throw your love away on that moron and pretend it didn't kill me."

"Daniel! I know we've been sharing a lot lately. I feel comfortable talking to you most of the time, when you're sober, and that's great. We've become good friends.

But, you've got to know, drunk or not, you're stepping over a line here. I have plans for my future and I'm sorry, but they don't include...well, us, so if this is your drunken attempt at coming onto me, you can stop right there."


	14. Chapter 14 Hugs AND Kisses

Chapter 14: Hugs AND Kisses

Disclaimer: Own nothing: please don't sue!

As the cab made its way to Daniel's loft, he started drifting down, until he was in Betty's lap.

"Daniel? Are you okay? How's your head?"

"It hurts like hell. That guy hits hard!"

She rubbed the back of his head. "You might have a concussion, Daniel. You did hit the bar pretty hard. I'm sorry he did that.

But why did you say all that? You know, you don't really seem all that drunk right now. Was he telling the truth? Was this all some kind of trick?"

He moaned and held his head, wincing, "Ow! What? I'm sorry, Betty. I think I need a nap! Wake me when we get to my place, will you?"

At first, she didn't say anything, just looked down at him in her lap, and continued rubbing his head. Then, something clicked and she nudged him, "Daniel, wake up! If you do have a concussion, you shouldn't go to sleep."

He turned slightly, but stayed in her lap, looking up at her, with a slight grin. "So, I guess either way, you really do need to stay with me tonight, so I don't die in my sleep, huh?"

She furrowed her brow, "Don't sound so sure of yourself, mister….player. If I do, it will be on your couch. I still might call Henry or someone to help me if you get too hard to handle myself."

He put his hand up to his jaw and made a face, "Him? I can walk. I don't need his help. I just need you to keep an eye on me."

"Right. I thought you said before you might need help getting undressed. That is NOT in my job description!"

He laughed, then winced at the pain. "Okay, no…undressing. I promise, Betty. Scouts honor!" he held up the Vulcan sign.

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised, "I don't think that's boy scouts, Daniel."

He shrugged, "Well, whatever. We're here. Uh, can you just let me lean on you a little getting in? I promise I'll be a good boy."

She helped him out of the cab and upstairs to his loft.

He continued to keep his arm around her until they got inside. Betty looked around, then switched on the light.

"So…if you can manage now, I think maybe I should leave." She turned to go.

"Wait! What about what you said before about the concussion thing, Betty? What if I do pass out and don't wake up?

Don't you think you should check on me? Besides, I might not be sloppy drunk, but I honestly did knock back quite a few earlier."

She looked him square in the eye, "Did you pay the bartender, like Vince said?"

"Maybe. But, just wait, Betty. We really need to talk, okay? Please don't go. Promise? I'll be back in a few minutes. Just…hang on. There should be something to drink in the fridge. I"ll be right back."

She mumbled, "Fine, okay. Go…I'll wait." He disappeared for ten minutes and she got a bottle of water from his fridge, and headed back to his living room to wait on the couch.

He came out, freshly showered, wearing a towel, and rubbing his hair dry with a hand towel.

Betty stepped back, trying not to make it too obvious she was checking him out. She said, "I can wait till you finish getting dressed for bed, Daniel."

He shrugged, glancing down at his towel, "Well, actually, this is more than I normally wear to sleep in.

I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but…if you don't care, hey, it's all good." He acted as if he was going to take off his towel.

Betty put up her hand and put her other one over her eyes, "Daniel! Stop it! Fine, just keep the towel on at least, please!"  
He grinned. She took a breath, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

He started to cross over closer to her. She backed up again, still holding up her hand, "I think you need to stay over there. I can hear you just fine from here."

He smiled at her, "Okay. Betty. Have it your way. First, I do need to apologize for the way I did this, tricking you a little with pretending to be more drunk than I really was.

But this was a rescue mission tonight. So, I kind of figured the ends justified the means, you know?"

She looked puzzled, "What do you mean a rescue mission? I don't understand. I thought I was rescuing you, but you didn't really need rescuing, so…what, or who was getting rescued?

You mean ME? From Vincent? Is THAT what this was really about, Daniel?"

"Well, yeah, actually. Hilda called me the other day and said she was really worried about you getting in over your head with that guy and we sort of put our cards on the table.

She asked me straight out how I felt about you. Your sister is a VERY no nonsense girl. Even more than you!" he laughed.

She was silent, but kept her eyes locked on his. He continued, "So, yeah, anyway, Hilda said she was afraid that you were settling for what's his name because you truly had convinced yourself he was the best you could do. Then, she said she thought I was a big jack ass!"

She smiled, "Hey, she's my sister. You can't fire me for things she said. Why did she call you…THAT, exactly?"

He walked to her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Because I didn't do anything to stop you from seeing the guy in the first place. She seemed to think I had a shot with you.

Let's see, I think what she said exactly was I should get my head out of my pampered little ass or something like that! So, I told her I didn't see that I stood a chance. Not with you saying you only saw me as your boss or as your BROTHER!"

She smiled slightly "I could maybe get you an upgrade to friend."

He groaned, but gave a half smile, "Friend, huh? What if I gave you a sample of life on the other side of the friend zone?

Would you slap me? If so, at least hit the other cheek. That side still hurts from your ex. Apparently, people from Queens don't hold back."

She didn't move as he leaned closer at first. Then, just as his face was right in front of hers, she whispered, "Daniel, I don't know if this is a good idea. Aren't we better as friends? I don't know if I see us as more."

He pulled away at first, then smiled, "Is this about all those crazy dreams Hilda said you were having about us? That's how you knew about Sofia, right?

You think you can see our future when you get the laughing gas at the dentist? That's a new one. Well, just how far into the future did you see?"

"I can't tell for sure, a few years at least, maybe three or four, even."

"And she said the last thing you always dream is that you go to London and I stay in New York?"

She nodded, "Yeah. You get mad at me for leaving and try to burn my release paper or something I think."

"Never going to happen."

"Why do you say that? I mean, it may seem weird, but a lot of the things I dreamed already did happen. But, some of it's different, too, maybe because I'm different.

I kept my old 'look' and I stayed with Walter much longer, then went out with Henry for a while, and some guy with a sandwich shop, then a tall, rich guy who was kind of cute, but ends up leaving me."

"So, just don't leave me. You said yourself, Betty. From what Hilda said, in your dream, you waste all your time with a bunch of losers, and I keep running around? Isn't that right?

So, it seems to me that the moral of your story is that we are both overlooking the obvious answer. We should just by-pass all the other people and NOT stay just friends. Doesn't that seem like at least a good possibility?"

"Well, I don't know. We were great friends in the dream and we're really good friends already now, so maybe that's all we're supposed to be."

"Maybe. But, do you mean to tell me, in the whole three or four years of this dream of yours, we never once did anything?

Does that seem likely? Aren't you the least bit curious what we might be missing? I know I am."

He stepped back towards her and without allowing her to object or even think about anything, he kissed her.

Very softly and as he started to pull back away, to make sure she didn't object, she suddenly put her arms around his back and pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. When they parted, he looked at her with an eyebrow up.

"Well?" he seemed to be nervous.

"Well, what? I don't know what you…"  
He kissed her again, this time sliding his hands around her waist.

She returned the kiss and it became heated, as he started backing her towards the wall. She pulled away, breathing hard at first, but giggled as his towel fell.

He grabbed it and pulled it around himself quickly, slightly reddening. "Okay, well, don't get too flattered, I just adjusted it wrong. Although, maybe you're right, we probably shouldn't get too carried away."

She seemed a little hurt. "So, you mean, you do just want to stay friends, then?"

"NO! That's not what I meant at all, Betty. I…really like you. I just know things at work are already pretty hard for you, with people thinking you got your job by uh…well sleeping with me or something, right?"

She nodded. "Pretty much, yeah."

He continued to hold her arms, "Well, maybe we don't need to let everyone know we are seeing each other at work, then.

At least not until you're out of my department or something. Which if my dad has anything to say about it, and I believe he does, won't be long."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"I called my dad earlier and told him about Sofia's little plan to ambush me and use MYW to do it and he was furious. He is going to fire her, so…that leaves the editor position open.

I could understand you not wanting to date me when I'm your boss. But if you were no longer my assistant, but say, just another editor….? Then what? Would that be easier to handle?"

Her eyes grew wide, "Maybe. Your dad is really going to hire ME to be an editor? But, Daniel, I haven't even been working at Mode six months yet! Are you sure?"

"Hey, he's seen how talented you are, Betty. I've been telling him you're the one who keeps bailing me out and he really likes you.

Mom is nuts about you, too. In fact, they both said they'd like you to come over for the holidays."

Betty felt like she must be dreaming, now. "Really? That's so great! I don't know what to say."

He laughed at her enthusiasm. "Well, don't get too excited, Betty. The holidays tend to be sort of boring at my folks' place. With Alex gone, especially, I was planning on going out of town or something.

I was initially thinking Rio. But, I guess I'd be willing to stick around if I get to hang around under the mistletoe with you." He kissed her again, this time slightly less passionately, but sweetly.

She smiled slightly, "Uh, would you want to come over to our house to decorate the Christmas tree? Oh…wait, never mind."

"What? You invite me and then un-invite me? That's not nice. I'd love to meet your dad, Betty. I like my big fan, Justin, too. Hopefully, now Hilda will be on my side."

She blushed, putting her head down, "Well, it's just that…we have sort of been having some problems with my dad's immigration, so we've been cutting back on expenses."

Daniel looked concerned. He took her hand and walked her back to the couch and told her to sit. "Hold on!" he ran to his room, and came back in a few minutes, this time, he was wearing a tee shirt and boxers. "There. Better? I was getting cold."

She laughed, "Better."

He sat down next to her, "So, what does that mean, exactly, cutting back on expenses?"

She shrugged, fighting back tears. He hugged her, trying to emulate her style of doing so, sharing his warmth and care with her. She finally sobbed, "I don't really know what we're going to do., Daniel. My papi needs a lawyer.

He finally admitted to us that he's here illegally. Hilda thought she found this woman lawyer, but she just took our money.

I was so desperate, I almost took money from Wilhelmina before when she offered, but I gave it back, because I knew she'd expect me to betray you for it."

He patted her and continued to hold her, just letting her cry, and stroking her hair. "God, Betty. I had no idea you were going through all this! Why didn't you tell me?

You listen to all my problems about my mom and dad and the crap with Fey and my brother. How come you didn't let me know? You know, if you'd let me, I could maybe help.

At least with some of it. I don't know if I can necessarily help your dad, but my family has lots of lawyers on retainer, I could at least talk to one of them, see if I could get them to look at his case.

And…what else can I actually help with? Please let me do something."

She looked nervous, "Well, I hate to ask, but maybe I could get an advance on my salary so I could get a tree for Justin?

We usually get one, but with this mess papi's been in, it wasn't a priority. He loves decorating it, though. I hate that he wouldn't get to."

He hugged her again, "How about you actually let me bring the tree this year? On one condition? You let me hang around with your family and decorate it?

I never got to do that at my house. I always thought it might be kind of fun to make cookies and decorate the tree."

This time, it was Betty who looked at Daniel with sympathy. "You really never did that? Not even as a kid?"

He shrugged, "No. The trees were already decorated for us. They were beautiful, but we weren't allowed to touch them."

She hugged him tightly. "Yes, you can bring the tree, Daniel. We'll show you how to decorate it! Thank you!"

He smiled widely, "No, thank YOU, Betty."

She touched his jaw and looked into his eyes, "So, do I really need to babysit you all night? I mean, sorry, but I am NOT going to sleep with you, boss."

"I don't really remember asking. But, duly noted, Betty." He smirked, pursing his lips.

She seemed a little embarrassed. "Oh, I…"

He laughed, and kissed her quickly, "God you're cute when you're embarrassed, Betty. I'm not saying I wouldn't WANT to, but I promise I won't push things until you are no longer my immediate employee, Miss Suarez. Is that acceptable to you?"

She nodded, "Mmhmm" and smiled, shyly.

"But, as soon as you get your promotion, we'll uh…talk, okay? Maybe work out a re-negotiation?"

"So, if you're okay, tonight, I guess I'll see you tomorrow? At our house?" She smiled and hugged him again, "And…thank you, Daniel."

"For?"

"Everything, the thing about my dad, the promotion, the tree, and especially for rescuing me tonight."

He hugged her back, then lifted her chin, looking into her eyes, "No problem, Betty." He kissed her again, then took a deep breath. "I…guess you'd better go."

"Daniel?"

"If you want me to keep my promise, you'd better go now. Before I change my mind and decide to jump you. I'll see you tomorrow."


	15. Chapter 15 Family Ties That Bind

**Chapter 15: Family Ties That Bind**

Disclaimer: Still don't own, please don't sue!

_This has been tough to tackle. Later, I'll be skipping quite a few more episodes, and just making reference to the parts that still work for this 'ripple' effect she's gone into._

_But there are certain scenes in the first season that are not only canon, but sacred to me. I had to include my own version of Daniel's first Christmas at the Suarez's, because it completely melts my heart! Likewise, I'm not going to entirely pass up the BRIDGE scene-like I said, some things are just SACRED! Hope you don't mind my take on Daniel's Christmas with Betty's family._

* * *

"Aunt Betty! Come down here! There's a Christmas tree being delivered from your boss!"

Justin's eyes lit up, seeing the huge, beautiful Spruce tree being delivered to their front door.

Ignacio looked up as Betty came downstairs, wearing her old glasses, pajamas, and ratty robe. Her hair was a mess, and she had on a little bit of blue mask she had tried from Hilda's Herbaluxe collection the night before.

He startled at seeing her with it, but smiled and asked, "This isn't your Christmas bonus, is it?"

Daniel was coming in behind the tree and he heard the question, "Of course not, Mr. Suarez. This is just a little early Christmas present because Betty is such a great assistant, that's all.

Hello, I'm Daniel Meade, Betty's boss. It's good to finally meet you, sir." He stuck out his hand.

"I don't know if she got a chance to tell you, but your daughter promised me if I brought the tree, she would show me how to decorate one. I hope it's okay for me to horn in on your family Christmas traditions a little."

"Daniel!" Betty was shocked to see him there so early. "I thought you were going to call! Oof!"

He chuckled at her appearance, "Nice uh…mask, Betty!"

She put her hand up to her face and realized she had fallen asleep with it on. "Oh! Excuse me! I'll be right back down!"

Hilda started to go downstairs, but Betty stopped her, pulling her by her hair, "Hey, sister! I've got a bone to pick with you!"

Hilda screamed, "Ow! Betty! What's up? Don't mess with my hair! Why are you abusing me?"

Betty pulled Hilda into her room by her arm, "Okay, do you have a little confession to make, about calling my boss and telling him to 'save me' from Vincent?"

Hilda chewed on her lip, somewhat like Betty often did. "Maybe. So? Betty, I did you a favor, okay? That guy was bad news.

I don't care what you say about him thinkin you're beautiful or whatever, I got news for you, sister. You were settin your sights way too low with that rude jerk!

Believe it or not, there is somebody else who thinks you're pretty special. Somebody right under your nose. You were just too proud or whatever to figure it out!"

Betty smiled, "You mean Daniel? Yes, I know. Thank you, Hilda. He's actually downstairs right now. I…have to admit, you may have been right about Vincent.

He showed up last night at the bar where you and Daniel planned your little set up and showed his true colors.

He told me he expected me to sleep with him. He and Daniel got into a fight. Or more accurately, Vince punched Daniel in the jaw and he hit his head on the bar."

"He did? Oh, God, Betty! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get Daniel beat up. I just asked him how he felt about you and he told me he likes you-a lot.

So…what happened between you and Daniel last night? I noticed you snuck in awfully late. Did you guys…do anything?"

"Ew, no! Well, I mean, we kissed and hugged a little, but…I hope you're not implying anything else."

"No! I was not. I know your boss has a bad reputation. But, I think he actually respects you way more than that Vincent did. He really cares about you, mami. So, you guys kissed, huh? Well, how was it? Spill, Betty!"

"It was….sort of amazing. I remember dreaming that time about him kissing me and it was so good, it woke me up, like sleeping beauty or something.

I felt like I'd never really been kissed before. It was like that, only better, because it wasn't just a dream. I feel kind of like I'm having a heart attack, though. I only told you half of what happened, Hilda.

He also said he found out I was right about Sofia and he not only dumped her, but he told his father about her and Mr. Meade fired her!

Daniel seems to think his dad wants me to apply for her position at MYW.

She offered me the job as her assistant, and I turned her down, because I didn't trust her. I never thought I might be eligible to be an editor this soon, though.

But Daniel thinks I have a good chance of being seriously considered. Do you believe it?"

Hilda looked at Betty strangely, "Okay, that's great and all, Betty. But why do you almost seem more excited about that then the fact that that hot, rich guy downstairs kissed you last night? Are you really THAT ambitious? Or just loco?"

"No, listen, Hilda. Daniel said he knew I was worried about people thinking I got my job by sleeping with him.

He also knew how it would look if we were dating with him still being my boss. So…he said if I was working for another magazine as an editor, it wouldn't be so inappropriate for us to date."

Hilda looked smugly at her sister, "So, I guess you DO owe me a big thank you, then, huh? I'll think of a good way for you to repay me later.

Right now, get that stuff off your face and go fix your hair and put something sexy on, chica. Your man is downstairs, waiting for you! You don't want him to see you looking like THAT!"

Betty groaned, "Too late! He already did. I need to go get ready. I'll be down in a few minutes. I never expected Daniel to be here this early."

Hilda smiled, "It sounds to me like he's anxious to get some more time under the mistletoe with my baby sister! You shouldda heard him when I yelled at him, Betty.

He was pretty cute. He sounded all hurt, saying you told him he was like a BROTHER! WHY in the hell, would you say that, anyway? You know you didn't mean it."

She shrugged, as she washed her face, threw on some jeans, a tee shirt, and fixed her hair in a ponytail.

She couldn't find her contacts, so she put on her newer glasses and fixed her makeup a bit. She went downstairs, and had to laugh. Justin had Daniel making popcorn strings.

She stood behind him, and whispered, "Hi, boss. Thanks again for the tree. I wish you'd let me pay you back for it out of my next paycheck, though. I didn't really like asking you, but I knew Justin would be heartbroken."

He turned around to face her, and smiled, "Forget about it. What happened to your mask? I personally really liked your robe, and pj's Betty; and especially the fuzzy slippers. They were really a turn on."

She shoved his shoulder, "Shut up, okay! I didn't expect Daniel Meade to show up at my house at the crack of dawn!"

He grinned, "Well, I've never done the big family Christmas thing like this before. I know people get up really early for stuff sometimes. I didn't want to miss anything important. Thanks again for inviting me.

I guess I sort of invited myself, but…I still appreciate you sharing your family with me. I'm actually kind of excited. I usually hate Christmas. It can get really depressing."

Betty thought a minute, "Daniel, when we finish decorating the tree today here, why don't we go see both of your parents?

Maybe they just need you to help them see how much this could mean to you and them to just spend time together. It could help you all heal from Alex a little."

He touched her cheek. "I guess you could be right, Betty. Even though things have been a lot better with my dad, because of you, there's still some tension between us, because he refuses to give me any answers about Fey Sommers, and those phone calls, not to mention the music box.

I know if you came with me, it would definitely help. They both love you. That's one thing they have in common, at least."  
She cocked her head to the side, "That's not all, Daniel. They have you in common."

She headed off to help her papi. Daniel stopped her, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, wait. Is it three cranberries and four pieces of popcorn or the other way around?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but you'd better ask Justin, because he's very particular!"

She went into the kitchen. Her father looked up at her from his glasses, "So, you've dumped Vincent and now you're dating your boss, mijah?"

"Papi! Don't start!"

He shook his head, smiling, "No, I was just going to say, good for you, Betty! He seems very nice and I can tell he cares very much for you. At least Daniel has manners.

I know he has kind of a bad reputation, but he's old enough now to start realizing he maybe needs to settle down, so…it could actually be a good thing he's already sown all his oats!

Did he get that bust in the chops defending you with Vincent?" he made a face when he said Vincent's name.

Betty was somewhat surprised, but relieved she didn't have to defend another man to her father. "Well, sort of, I guess. It's complicated papi."

"Aye. You young people and your complications. It seems pretty straight forward to me. He likes you and you clearly feel the same. Seems simple enough." She hugged him. "I love you, papi!"

"Te amo, mijah!" He laughed. Daniel stood in the doorway, watching father and daughter together.

He turned and smiled, as he saw Justin and Hilda looking at the tree, arguing over how the lights and garland should be draped. Santos had come down, wearing Hilda's robe.

"Hey! Daniel Meade! How's it going? Nice to meet you, player!" he stuck out his hand, "I'm Santos, Hilda's…uh, Justin's father."

Daniel nodded, "Hey. Nice to meet you, Santos."

Ignacio made a face, and rolled his eyes.

Betty's phone rang. "Hello? Mr. Meade?" She looked at Daniel who shook his head that he didn't want to speak to his father. "A meeting? This morning? Okay. I'll be right there." Her eyes lit up. "Daniel! He said he wants to speak to me!"

Daniel smiled widely at her "I told you, Betty! He really likes you. I think I'd better date you just so I can keep a good relationship with my parents." He teased.

She rushed upstairs to change, but stopped, "Daniel, I don't know how long this will take. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

Justin chimed in, "Oh, don't worry, AB, we'll show him how the Suarez's do Christmas. He'll be fine!"

As Betty went out on the porch, Daniel followed her, "So, good luck today with my dad. I'm really proud of you."

"I don't know what he wants, yet, Daniel."

"I know you can do this, Betty. You didn't set out to be my assistant forever. You've already proved you can do the editor's job, because let's face it, you've been doing mine.

I'll see you when you get back. Maybe we'll do Christmas with my family tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll have something to celebrate."

"Thanks, Daniel." She gave him one of her signature hugs.

He grinned. "Go! Hurry back, so I don't mess up your tree!"

"Justin won't let you." She called back over her shoulder.

Daniel enjoyed just watching the Suarez's interact as a family, and was amused to hear all the little intimate details of the past holidays.

Santos tried to get Justin to go outside and play ball 'like a man', and ended up leaving after fighting with Hilda about not providing enough manly activities for his son.

Daniel had tried to defend Justin to his father, telling him, "I don't know, Justin's got a real gift. If I'm left alone, this tree will end up looking like overdressed firewood."

Justin was happy to be given attention by Daniel and told him one of the stockings would be his. After Santos left, Daniel told Ignacio, "Listen, Mr. Suarez, I'm sorry if I butted in there. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Ignacio shook his head, and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, "No, Daniel, I'm thankful you were here. You're going to make a great father, someday.

It's not just about blood. It's being there for your kids. You have that natural instinct. You were kind to Justin. He needs that."

Daniel bit his lip, "Uh, can I ask you something, Mr. Suarez? Are you okay with me dating your daughter? I mean, I know I'm not every father's dream guy, considering my history with women, I'm sure."

"Hey, you have the advantage of following behind two big losers. Walter cheated on Betty and that Vincent guy, never had the nerve to face me. Plus, he was not kind to my Betty, either.

Besides, Daniel, if Betty cares about you, and I know she does, that's all that really matters. She is always running out of the house the minute you call, so I think she has already shown how she feels.

I've never seen her as happy as she has been these past few months, working with you. I just worry a little about office politics. I mean, with you being her boss?"

"Well, actually, I think my dad is going to offer her a really big promotion. Then she would be working for Meade Publications, still, but at a completely different magazine. So, I don't think it would be any problem with us dating."

Daniel asked Justin. "Hey, Justin, you can speak Spanish, right?"

"I guess so. A little. Not as well as Mom or grandpa. Why? Do you want to know how to say something to Aunt Betty en Espanol? Te amo, maybe?" he grinned from ear to ear.

Daniel smiled, putting his arm around Justin and leaning down, "Okay, yeah, but this has GOT to be just our little secret, okay? No spilling the beans to ANYBODY! Not even your mom. Deal?"

"Deal, Daniel. Just tell me what you want to say."

Daniel thought for a second, "Uh…well, yeah, I know the Te amo. But then, how about I can't live without you? How would I say that AND the uh…te amo."

Justin rolled his eyes, "So, in English, it's I love you, baby, and I can't live without you? Pretty bold, Daniel. But, you'll definitely get AB's attention."

Daniel grinned, this kid was so smart, just like his aunt, he thought. "Yeah. Good. So, how do I say it? Wait, let me write it down." He grabbed a pen and paper.

Justin sighed, "You'd better let me, you'll never get the spelling right. I'll write it and say it for you, then let me hear you repeat it, okay?" Daniel nodded.

Justin wrote, then said, "Te amo bebé, y no puedo vivir sin ti. Now, let me hear you say it."

Daniel read it and messed up a bit, but repeated three times until he got it. Justin smiled at him, narrowing his eyes, "Great job, Daniel!

Now, can I ask you, as your new girlfriend's nephew, would I be entitled to come to work with her during Fashion Week?"

Daniel laughed, "Sounds like a good possibility!"

Betty had been gone for quite some time, assigned to 'handle' the Baby Chutney account by Bradford as a test to see if she could in fact 'be the boss'.

Daniel got a call from Betty, "I got it! Your dad liked my pitch. But, I'm still not happy. It seems like something's missing. I fired that stupid Bruno Jacobs.

I don't care how great Wilhelmina or Amanda think he is, he was going to drown the poor baby and he just kept calling the poor little thing ugly! Ugh!"

Daniel smiled at her enthusiasm. He was watching Betty's family talking around the tree and got an idea, "Betty. Why don't you just bring Tim and Chloe here with Baby Chutney?"

"Daniel, have you been drinking again?"

"No, listen; they're just a couple of kids who became stars. They grew up in a place just like this. Bring them here, Betty. Oh, and after the shoot, I…need to tell you something, Miss Editor."


	16. Chapter 16 I Love it When You Say it

**Chapter 16: I Love it When You Say it In Spanish**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Ugly Betty!_

Wilhelmina was making a wall in her office of who was going to be 'in or out'. Marc hadn't quite figured out what her plans were yet, but he was certain they involved the woman he and Amanda had crank called on Thanksgiving.

He tried to warn his friend that she needed to somehow prove her loyalty to 'The Queen' "You?" she had asked him, innnocently. "No, Willi!"

She looked at the board, with her eyes wide as saucers, full of fear and a little twinge of sadness at finally admitting she was no longer 'Daniel's Girl'. No, that position now completely belonged to Betty.

Wilhelmina Slater hated Betty Suarez with a passion. In fact, it almost seemed that she hated the girl even more than she hated Daniel Meade, if that were possible.

Daniel was an insignificant goof. A hapless idiot, born to his position and easily duped. But since Betty...that little Latina monster had gotten in her way and kept Daniel in his daddy's good graces far too long, the formerly fashion impaired girl was on her list.

She had hoped to bribe her when she heard of her father's immigration issues. However, of course Betty wouldn't sell out Daniel.

She had retuned her check, uncashed. Now, it seemed, that Reyes woman had botched things up somehow.

(Willi had learned through her spies at MYW about Sofia's plans for her first issue 'From Fling to Ring in 60 Days', to publicly humiliate Daniel on national television.)

Now, that was a bust, likely somehow Betty had found a way to warn Daniel, she mused.

After the Baby Chutney affair had made her once again, look incompetant, there had been the Bianchi coup, with her looking foolish thanks to Fabia's quacking duck, her $25k butt lift that Betty and her little accountant lackey had ratted her out to Bradford about.

Somehow, Betty had made Daniel look good on no money to Hiroshi!

She was not even all that surprised to hear that Betty was going to be moving swiftly up the ranks as an EDITOR?

Taking over for the now departed Reyes at MYW. It meant Betty was gone from Mode, which was wonderful.

But, somehow, she doubted Betty's association with Daniel would fade. In fact, if Marc and his little minions were correct, things were heating up between Daniel and his soon to be former assistant.

She knew Amanda was not really a source of jealousy for Betty. They almost seemed friendly at times, even if she had slept with the Meade heir in the past.

Just one more reason she had put Amanda on the 'Out' column of her chart, in spite of Marc's loyalty to his beard.

So, perhaps a re-union with one of his many former playmates would ruffle Miss Suarez' feathers a bit?

"Marc, get me that Reyes woman's number, will you? It's time to hit Daniel with both barrels."

Marc had no idea what his boss had in mind, but he got her the number obligingly.

"Are you sure you're ready for this tonight, Betty?" Daniel held his hand supportively on her back as they stood outside his parent's home.

Betty, for her part, seemed completely overwhelmed at her surroundings, looking all around, "Daniel, you really grew up here?

It's like a museum or something! It's so, so FANCY!" He chuckled at her awe, and whispered, "Yeah, when I wasn't off in boarding school, raising hell!"

"That he did, God love him! Betty! So glad you could make it, dear! Merry Christmas! Or would I be too rude in saying Feliz Navidad? Does that sound pompous?"

"It might, if I didn't know you meant it kindly, Mrs Meade." Betty said simply, smiling at her hostess.

"Darling! I'm so glad Daniel has met such a smart, charming, unpretentious young woman, finally! Let me take your coat, dear!"

Daniel handed her Betty's coat as he had helped her off with it and he leaned over to give his mother a peck on the cheek. He grimaced, smelling the alcohol on her breath. Obviously, she had fallen off the wagon, again, he quickly realized.

Mr. Meade came in and greeted Betty with a kiss on the hand, smiling at her. "Welcome, Betty. We're both so glad Daniel has finally met someone smart enough to help him stay focused and keep him on track! So, how is your family? Is everyone well?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Meade. Thanks for asking."

"Are you ready to take the reigns at MYW after Fashion Week? I appreciate you trying to train there while you still are helping Daniel.

I think we should hire someone to assist Betty, Daniel, so she's not overburdened. That's a lot of work, even for her!"

He nodded in agreement. "I think so, too, Dad. I am trying to hire a few more hands to help her out. Betty, didn't you say your sister was looking for work?

You should have her help you. I know Justin wants to come, too. You could make it a family affair."

Betty squirmed, dreading working with Hilda. They always managed to fight when they worked together. Even as far back as those summers at Vince's dad's Lemon Ice place.

"Justin?" his father asked.

"Betty's nephew. He is a huge Mode fan! He knows way more about the fashion industry than any kid his age I've ever seen.

I think we should definitely bring him on as an intern for the summer. He's a really bright kid!"

Bradford looked somewhat amused at Daniel's apparent affection for Betty's nephew. "Sounds like a good idea, Daniel. Betty, can I get you a drink?"

"No, thank you. I think I'll just have some water."

"Now there's a good idea!" Claire said as she waved her drink in the air. "I bet you wish I'd try that, dear!"

Bradford grabbed her around the waist and grimaced, "Care to dance, dear?" He whispered to her, "Just how bombed are you?"

She had sadness in her eyes,"Just enough to not think of Alex more than I absolutely have to."

He looked at her sympathetically and squeezed her hand as they danced.

Betty looked at Daniel, seemingly surprised to see his parents, apparently so in love. "I...guess I didn't realize how much they still love each other, even with all he's put her through, Daniel." she whispered.

He held out his hand and they danced, too. "Yeah, well, as much as I'd like to blame him for everything, it's not just his cheating that has caused problems.

I don't know if it's the chicken or the egg with her drinking and his cheating, but it's gotten worse since Alex died. That was a huge blow to both of them."

She looked at him, knowingly, "I'd say it's taken it's toll on you, too, Daniel. You still can barely stand to talk about Alex."

He nodded and put his head down against her neck.

"I love you, Betty." he whispered, more as a comment to himself than to her.

She pulled away slightly, "Sorry? What did you just say?"

He hadn't really meant to drop that little bomb just yet. It hardly seemed the most romantic of times, his parents marraige was so bittersweet at best right now.

Yet, there was something amazing and powerful about the fact that, in spite of all they had gone through together as a couple and had put each other through, they had opted to remain together.

Daniel knew Fey Sommers (and likely other of his father's lovers) had tried desperately to get him to leave his wife. Yet, he had adamently refused, even in the face of her alcoholism. Or partially because of it, Daniel didn't really know which.

In some strange way, though, he felt a sudden swell of pride that his parents were here, dancing with each other and looking at each other amorously, even after all this time and all the pain they had shared/and or caused each other.

She hugged him closer to her, knowing he had likely let that little admission slip accidentally.

They left after a quiet but somewhat amusing dinner with his parents, Claire telling stories about Daniel and even a few that involved Alex as young boys, making Betty laugh at their exploits.

They bid each other a heartfelt good bye and happy holidays, Betty hugging both Daniel's parents and thanking them for inviting her.

As they headed to his loft initially, they spotted paparazzi, and Daniel wisely had the town car head back to some clubs as a decoy, after dropping them off in mid-town. They walked for a while, after running out of breath.

"I love saying, 'we're being chased by paparazzi!" she laughed.

He noted to buy her a new coat for Christmas, although he admitted sort of finding her very unfashionable blue puffy one rather cute. It definitely worked for her.

"So, did you actually LIKE the escargot, Betty?"

She didn't answer. "Did you?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, sure. It was fine."

She pulled out a napkin with her uneaten ones, and handed it to him, "You want mine? Sorry!"

He laughed, "Hey, are we close to that karaoke pizza place you told me about? Come on, I'll buy you a slice. We'll do the taste comparison."

She pulled him down the block, "It's not too far. It's awesome, you'll love it!"

He couldn't believe she got him up, singing 'I've Got You, Babe' with her. But he couldn't remember when he had had so much fun. He never wanted the evening to end, it seemed. In fact, the night was young.

They managed to crash a late night wedding and steal some cake, laughing and running out, just before they were discovered. Somehow, it was now almost three thirty in the morning and they ended up on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Daniel looked at her, and out at the skyline. It was a totally new viewpoint for him. Not only of New York, but of his life. Of this amazing woman that had shown him so much that was new since she walked into his life. He smiled at her, in awe of how much he had changed just in the few months he had known her.

He almost couldn't believe how much she had changed him. Make his heart beat faster, and his mouth go dry. His palms seemed sweaty. He let go of her hand and looked out, "I've never seen this side of the city before."

She looked at him, suddenly remembering how different their lives had been up to now. "This is the only side I have seen. Until recently." She looked at him, wondering what he seemed so nervous about in particular.

They had already kissed. In fact, several times. Not as much as either would have liked, it always seemed like work or family was interfering since that first night.

But, still. She sensed he had something important he wanted to tell her. She encouraged him. "I think I'm going to come here when I can't sleep, even if it's five am."

"Call me. I'll meet you." He seemed reflective, and told her that's what Alex would often do, call him after an all nighter and tell him to meet somewhere in Chinatown.

"I guess...at least he died on his own terms. If it wasn't dangerous, Alex wasn't into it."

They talked about his parents, and Betty told him about hers. After a few minutes of just admiring the view, she shivered slightly. "Cold?" she nodded. "A little."

He wrapped his arms around her, "So...I learned something from Justin. Actually, I learned a lot from Justin. He's an incredible kid! And I'm not just saying that because he's my biggest fan or whatever it is you said. I just think he's really smart. Kind of like his aunt."

"Thank you, sir!" she giggled.

He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to concentrate, "Te amo, Betty, y no puedo vivir sin ti."

She smiled as she translated the words quickly in her head. She whispered, "Te amo, Daniel. Justin taught you that, huh? That's really sweet. Gracias, mi amor."

He grinned at her, "I like it when you speak Spanish, Betty. You should do it more often. It's really sexy. Especially when you whisper. You said you love me and thanked me , calling me your love or dear or something, right?"

She nodded, and blushed, "I don't really speak it that much. Sometimes papi speaks to us, or someone we know, but if you don't use it you kind of lose it, you know? But that was so thoughtful and sort of adorable that you learned to say that...for me."

"Why not for you? You're amazing, Betty." He held her face and carefully pushed aside a strand of her hair.

She bit her lower lip. "I know you've said that, Daniel. I just...why me? I'm no model, like you're used to, I know. I'm not...Sofia, either. I'm not a big sexpot or whatever."

He took her hands up to kiss them. "No, Betty. You're not Sofia, thank GOD. She was nothing but a total...well, not a nice person, let's just say, so I don't offend you."

She smiled, "I think I know the word you're searching for, rhymes with witch?" he nodded.

"But...as far as the models I've been with...Betty. You've got to know, honey. You're so much better than ANY model. You do GET that, right?"

She pulled him down by his coat, rather forcefully for as short and tiny as she was. He grinned as she grabbed his collar and planted a huge kiss on his lips.

"Glad you got my point." he said simply as he slid his arms around her waist, and pulled her in for another earth-shattering kiss. 'Model, schmodel, she thought, as Daniel thoroughly convinced her of his sincerity in finding her much better.


	17. Chapter 17 Brothers andor Sisters

Chapter 17: Brothers and/or Sisters

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters on Ugly Betty!

_I think this may be the last episode fans should recognize pretty easily. Sorry, but as I said, the further out from the 'butterfly effect' ripples we go, the less close to canon the story line will be. I feel this came out pretty close to the original episode in the ways it needs to, though. Hope you enjoy going back in time, with our little twists! _

Betty was running around during Fashion week like there was no tomorrow. She had assigned Hilda to gift bag duty and Justin was backstage, helping Christina get ready for her first show for the Ten New Designer's to Watch.

A man tackled Daniel to the ground. Betty called for security, seeming concerned he was hurt. Daniel grinned and put his hand up, as the man helped Daniel to his feet and patted him on the back.

"It's fine, Betty. This is Becks Scott, my old friend I was telling you about."

Betty smiled and shook his hand, "Oh, yes. You're the photo journalist, right? I think we spoke on the phone when you were in Africa. I hear growling."

"Becks, this is my assistant, Betty Suarez."

"Good to meet you, Mr. Scott."

Becks put his arm around Betty, "Listen, Betty. If this guy gives you any trouble, just let me know and I'll be glad to teach him some manners."

Betty blushed and smiled at him. Daniel pulled him into his office.

"All right, all right, down boy."

Becks seemed taken with Betty. "Hmmm...nice ass on your new assistant, Danny-boy. You uh...given her any dictation, yet?"

Daniel made a face, and went to close his door, not wanting Betty to overhear how his friend was talking about her.

"Look, Becks, it's great to see you, man. But, first of all, my old man's about ready to hand over the keys to the kingdom here if I keep my eyes on the prize and actually do my job.

I've got to look at the clothes, not the models wearing them."

"Oh yeah? You still pee standing up, right?"

Daniel laughed, in spite of himself, "Hey, I'm the Editor-in-chief, now. I have to act like it. I can't be chasing after girls anymore."

Becks raised his eyebrows, "Do you have to say it like that? All pompous, editor-in- chief?

Daniel, I came all the way from Africa to have some fun. Come on, standard bet, right?" He held up a dollar bill.

"No, I'm serious, Becks. No bet this year. I mean, you go ahead, feel free to have fun, but count me out."

"I see. You're just giving up because you know I always win, anyway. Wimp!"

"Hey, you did NOT always win! But, I kind of started seeing Betty. Or at least, I will be once she's no longer under me.

So, I'm going cold turkey on the whole love em and leave em routine."

"Oh, I get it. So, how is she, being 'under' you? Is she as hot as she looks? I like the whole Latina thing. She looks pretty young.

You got her ID, I assume. What is she twenty, twenty-one?"

"She's twenty-two. But, I actually care about Betty. I respect her. So, stop talking about her like that, okay?

She means something to me. Not that I'd expect you to understand.

She's smart and really nice. She's really helped me do my job. In fact, my dad likes her; too, that's why he's making her an editor already.

Then, I'll actually be able to really date her. Right now, with her being my assistant, we're not really telling anybody we're seeing each other."

"You mean, you haven't bagged her yet? Hmmmm... so, she's fair game, huh?

Maybe our bet doesn't have to just be models?" He started watching Betty through the window in Daniel's office.

"No way, Becks. Lay off Betty, okay? Actually, I should tell you to go ahead, try hitting on her. I'd like to see you get slapped.

But, I care too much about her to subject her to your clumsy advances."

"Huh, clumsy? Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Becks!" Daniel warned. "Don't even think about it. Leave her alone, okay? I mean it. If you don't bother Betty, you're welcome to hit on any other model or whoever you want, deal?"

He laughed, "Fine, fine. Not that I really NEED your permission, your majesty! But, I'll leave you to your little office romance, Daniel.

Betty's safe. Although, believe me, if I really turned on the charm, I doubt I'd be getting slapped.

Let's go get some lunch, I'm starved. Then you can turn me loose on the current crop of beauties. You wouldn't have been all that much competition, anyway."

Daniel stepped over to Betty's desk and told her, "I'm taking Becks out for lunch, Betty. Do you want me to bring you back anything?"

"No, thanks, Daniel. I'm going to drag Christina out and make her eat something, before she drops. Have a good time with your friend. He's cute."

"Yeah? Don't let him hear you say that, Betty. I just had to practically beg the guy not to hit on you. He's a big player and he comes to Fashion Week every year like he's a hunter and it's deer season.

You'd better let Hilda know to be on the lookout for him. He'll definitely hit on her, too, if he sees her."

"He sounds kind of predatory. And he's your _best friend_, huh?"

He shrugged, "I know, I know. I was just like him. But, I'm trying, Betty. I hope you know, this is probably the longest I've gone without sex since puberty." He smiled at her.

"Should I alert the media?" she teased. "Oh, never mind, I'm sure it's already on Page Six."

"Probably. Bye. Enjoy your lunch, Betty."  
"You, too. Daniel."

He stopped and turned around, coming back to whisper "I'm looking forward to next week, when you're an editor and not my assistant anymore, so I can officially take you out."

She smiled, "Me, too, boss."

He rolled his eyes, "Will you please stop calling me that, Betty?"

She shrugged, "Why, you are still my boss, Daniel."

"Well, yeah, maybe. But I'll be happy when I'm not, so you let me touch you without jumping."

"One more week, which reminds me. We have a lot going on over at the tent. If you don't need anything, I think I'll see how my sister's doing over there and get started on lining up the..."

He walked over to her, "Are you sure you have enough help, Betty? You seem like you're trying to do everything yourself. I hate to see you so stressed out.

Don't be afraid to delegate a little, okay?" He looked around and saw no one was watching, so he kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed, "Daniel!"

"What? You know you liked it, Betty. All this sneaking around is driving me nuts. I'll see you at the tent in an hour or so.

Be sure and tell Hilda to watch out for Becks. I'm not kidding, the guy will hit on anyone. Not that...I mean, Hilda's very pretty."

"It's fine, Daniel. I'm well aware of how pretty my sister is, believe me."

He gave her a sideways grin, "Hmmm...I see. So, there is a little sibling rivalry with the Suarez sisters, too, huh? Yeah, well, I prefer you, Betty. She's a little mean."

Betty laughed. "Go, eat lunch. Bye, boss!" He joined Becks, who was already chatting up Amanda at the donut.

Daniel pulled him away, and Amanda threw herself across the desk, reaching out after him. "Wait, don't go. I can do modeling, too. I just need a ladder, and some rope. Or just really, really, high heels."

Becks looked back at Amanda, as Daniel continued to pull him down the hallway. "Hey, wait, she's cute. Didn't you already mess around with her? You got something going on with her, too, Daniel?

Hell, no wonder you want to be the boss here. There's all kinds to choose from. But, the Fashion show has the hottest actual models, so, I guess I'll save my appetite.

So did you get a little something something from your secretary to get you through the day, Danny-boy?"

"I told you before, don't call me that, okay? Betty's not my secretary, either." He seemed annoyed.

Becks remembered that Daniel had only let his brother, Alex call him Danny. It had been their special thing.

That afternoon, Betty was re-arranging the gift bags after Hilda had done them. "Betty, you are a freak! Let me get outta here, and go steam some more clothes, if you think I can walk by myself without getting lost! Bossy Betty!" She stormed off.

Daniel and Becks arrived, and Becks had already spotted a beautiful blonde, wearing a red halter dress.

"Hey, there, gorgeous. Do you think I could borrow your cell phone? I told my mom I'd call her when I met the girl of my dreams."  
She rolled her eyes, "Seriously?"

Daniel laughed, pulling Becks away from her, "Sorry, miss. My friend has an incurable disease. He has to use lame pick-up lines from ten years ago."

Becks shook Daniel off and spotted another girl to chat up. The woman looked at Daniel, "Do you have an incurable disease, too?"

"No. My soon to be ex-friend there is on his own as far as I'm concerned. Sorry he bothered you, miss. Um…excuse me a minute."

He had spotted Betty running back and forth, looking frazzled. "Betty, what's wrong? Are you okay? Are you letting anybody help you or trying to do everything yourself as usual?"

She threw up her hands and looked like she was ready to cry. Her hair was a mess and she had on her glasses. She had pencils in her hair and the Mode tee shirt she was wearing was much too big for her.

He put his hands on her shoulders and made her face him. "Betty, listen, when I basically blew the Fabia account, who saved the day by coming up with a new concept?"

"Me, I guess." She said quietly, looking down.

"And who got the credit?" He crooked his finger under her chin to lift it up.

"You. But Daniel…"  
"Me, right. Betty, you know you can do the editor's job, because you've already been doing my job for me. You can do this, too. Just don't be afraid to delegate.

Stop trying to do everything, and micro-managing every little detail. Just step back and try to enjoy all your hard work, okay? You're doing a great job!"

She smiled weakly. "Okay, Daniel. I'm sorry, I know you're busy."

"Betty, just relax, okay? Let me see that smile." She gave him a weak smile and got another call and left.

The woman in red was watching in shock and amusement.

Daniel walked over to her, "Sorry, my assistant is having a tough day."

"I see. I'm surprised Daniel Meade would care about his assistant having a bad day."

"Well, people change."

"They definitely do."

"I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

"We've met."

"Yeah? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't remember meeting you. Although you sort of look familiar."

"Well, I used to…uh date your brother Alex."

"Oh. I see." He didn't move.

The woman pulled him over to a table. "So, Danny, did you get along with your brother."

"You tell me. And, it's Daniel. It seems he told you all about me. What did he say?"

"Just the usual; that you were an annoying kid brother."

"I guess that doesn't surprise me. To be honest, we had a complicated relationship."  
"How so?"

"You know, the usual; competition, rivalry. Until recently, I always felt like I was in his shadow."

"You still are, Danny." She looked into his eyes, and pulled him by his tie to look at her more closely.

"What the?" he tried to pull away.

"Come on, Danny. You mean to tell me you don't recognize me, just a little? It's me, Alex." She looked directly into his eyes. "The eyes are one of the few things they couldn't change."

Daniel got a panicked look on his face, "What the hell are you talking about? Get away from me." He took off, running outside, and grabbing a bottle on the table.

Alexis went after him, and said, "Daniel, it's me. I was going to tell you, but there wasn't time. I was in the wrong body. I noticed everybody moved on just fine."

"No we didn't move on! Nobody moved on! We think about you every day. Mom still hasn't recovered. Neither have I! I went to your grave. We buried you! It's been two years. This is sick, I…don't believe it! You're crazy!"

"Am I? Well I see Dad's doing just fine replacing me."

Daniel pushed her away, and turned to take a drink. "Just get away from me! I can't even look at you!"

Alexis turned to leave. Christina was freaking out about her first fashion show. Justin was trying to calm her and was being very helpful in offering advice to the models and how to style their accessories. Wilhelmina was telling Christina that her designs were good, and she had chosen her for a reason.

"No, you chose me because I did you a shady favor."

"Nonsense, Christina. I wouldn't have chosen you if you were no good." She looked at Justin, "Who's the new intern, Jason, is it? He's good."

"It's Justin, but thank you. You can call me anything you want, I love you!" Justin smiled and looked at her worshipfully.

Wilhelmina smiled, then told Christina she had a change in the last model, leaving the Scottish woman throwing up her hands.

Betty and Hilda had clashed several times over who was in charge. Betty was jealous that Hilda had easily bonded with the models. Finally, Betty exploded, "Just go, Hilda! I can do this without you. You're fired!"

"Fine! Do everything yourself, Betty, like you always do! Clearly you don't need me!" She stormed off, leaving Betty so upset that she burned a model's hair.

Much later, Bradford was annoyed that he didn't see Daniel, so Betty told him she would find him, "I just saw him, sir. I'll find him."

She went outside onto the balcony just in time to see Hilda kissing Daniel. Her eyes got wide and she looked extremely upset. Hilda saw Betty and got up from the floor and walked past Betty, "Hurts, doesn't it, sis?"

Betty couldn't believe Hilda could be so upset with her she would kiss Daniel. She knew she liked him. But, she couldn't decide who she was more upset with, her sister or Daniel.

He seemed to be in shock. He looked at Betty and realized what was going on. He jumped up and ran after her, "Betty, it's not really what it looks like.

Hilda was just upset and so was I and we were just talking. I don't really know why she kissed me just then. I think she was just mad at you and trying to get back at you for firing her. It didn't mean anything."

"Right. So, I guess Becks isn't the one I should worry about hitting on my pretty sister, after all, huh, Daniel? Just…get inside.

Your father is looking for you. What were you doing out here, getting drunk when I was working myself to death for anyway?" She took off without letting him explain.

As the show wrapped up, Wilhelmina announced Christina McKinney as the last of the Ten Designers to Watch. All eyes were on Alexis as she strutted down the runway in Christina's design.

Wilhelmina announced Bradford, who had been noting Daniel's empty chair, wondering where the hell his son was.

Just as Bradford began to speak, Alexis grabbed the mic and said, "Two years ago, the Meade family lost a son, Alex Meade. But, I'm here to tell you, you may have lost a son, but you gained a daughter.

Hello, daddy!" Everyone in the room, gasped. Cameras snapped, and peoples' eyes popped. Just to add to the mayhem, the police came and arrested Bradford for Fey's murder.

Betty stood staring in disbelief with Justin. Hilda came and stood behind Justin, also flabbergasted at the events of the evening.

Daniel came over behind Betty and, swigging from the bottle, he asked, "So, what's it like having a sister?"


	18. Chapter 18 Friends and Lovers

**Chapter 18: Friends and Lovers**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty; if I did, it would be all Detty all the time LOL!_

* * *

Christina insisted on taking Betty out to 'get pissed' after the outrageous day during the fashion show. "Come on, Betty! This has got to go down as the weirdest day ever since I've been workin' at this crazy place!

Let's go forget about everythin'. It's Friday night, fer heaven's sake. We've both earned a night out, especially after a week like this and a day like today!"

Betty agreed, although she wondered if she should go home and try to talk to Hilda and see why she had betrayed her like that with Daniel, of all people!

It didn't make sense, considering Hilda had been the one to help Daniel and her connect in the first place. She knew her sister needed to cool off, though. Frankly, so did she.

It seemed as if there were a lot of "Modies" at the bar they went to; with tongues wagging about the day's jaw-dropping events.

Part of Betty wanted to go find Daniel, and comfort him after the upsetting news he had just received concerning his brother, or should she say sister?

She mentioned that to Christina, "I know Hilda was the one who kissed Daniel. He's had a terrible shock. I should maybe just go talk to him."

Christina was getting very drunk, "Oh, listen to ya, luv! You'd think the man was a new kind of drug, the way yer always carryin on about him! I swear, Betty, if Daniel was crack, you'd sell Justin to snort him!"

"Christina! I would not! That's ri...ridicu...that's just silly! I live Justin, I mean, I love Justin, like a nephew.

"Betty, he IS your nephew, you silly, drunk git!"

"What's a git?" Betty giggled, realizing she was probably too drunk to ride the subway home, so she started scratching through her purse to make sure she had cab fare.

"Hey, there, gorgeous! What are you doing out and about, without a male escort? I would have thought Danny would be crying in his cornflakes to you right now." Betty looked to see Becks standing next to her, looking oh so cute right now.

"Becks, why aren't YOU with Daniel? Wait, I thought he didn't like anyone to call him Danny? Well, except for his dead brother. Or sister, now, I guess." She hicupped again. "Oops, sorry!"

He laughed at her, "Yeah, that's kind of a mess. Honestly, I'm not sure where Daniel is right now. I looked for him after the craziness hit the fan, but he disappeared. He hasn't called you? I just keep getting his voice mail."

"No. We...sort of had a fight just before the uh...everything happened."

Christina leaned over Betty, "She caught him kissing her sister!"

"Her sister? You've got a single sister, Betty? I would like to meet her myself. If she's anything like..."

"Get in line! Everybody likes Hilda. Hilda's the pretty one. Hilda's the popular one. Well, I'm sick of it!

Now she kisses MY...well, almost my boyfriend. I don't get it. She's the one who pushed us together in the first place and now she does this? Sisters! Who needs em!"

Becks laughed, seeing how drunk Betty seemed. "Hey, I tell you what, why don't I take you to Daniel's place? He gave me his key. He has to show up there eventually. We can wait for him and have our own little party. He probably just got a little drunk after all the drama today.

Just like everybody else seems to be doing tonight!" He motioned around at the bar, where everyone from Mode seemed to be getting dead drunk.

Christina said, "It's because no one knows if we'll have jobs Monday or not with all this hullaballoo!"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I'm sorry, I don't think we've met, darlin'? You're Scottish, I take it? I'm Becks Scott, Daniel's friend."

"We met already, a year ago, luv. You had your hands full of model and weren't really up to a proper how'dya do. I'm still Christina McKinney, same as I was then, Mr. Scott."

Betty laughed, "Ha, he's mister scott and you're scott-ish, get it? That's funny!"

Becks chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so. So, ladies, do you need an escort somewhere?"

Christina looked around, "Is this a joke? You're asking us to go somewhere with ya? Don't you see there are still a few untagged models in here? I'm sure they're more your speed.

We're the normal girls. Well, I guess Betty's a bit of alright now, with all her changes. But me...I'm no prize. I'm sure no model!"

Becks looked at her, "Don't sell yourself short, Christina. You're very nice, yourself. And as far as the models, go. I think Daniel's rubbing off on me.

They're sort of getting boring. I like a girl with a little spunk and at least half a brain. I don't think these girls put together have that much to spare."

"Well, maybe that's because they don't eat enough to feed their brain?" Betty laughed, as did Becks and Christina.

"So, do we want to take this little party over to Daniel's and see if he's home yet?"

"Sure! Sounds like a plan to me. I don't feel like going home just yet. Betty here needs to talk to the man, anyway. All she's been doin all night is talk to me ABOUT him. Daniel this and Daniel that."

Becks raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, well, nobody's ever called me cupid before, but I have to admit, Betty, I think the guy's got it pretty bad for you, too. So, you probably ought to talk to him. He could likely use your shoulder to cry on right now."

Betty nodded, "I want to tak to him, too. But, should we (hicup)get some coffee first?"

Becks pulled her away, and offered his arm to Christina as well, "No time, ladies. Let's get out of here. This place is depressing! It's like a high fashion morgue or something."

The trio was laughing and talking rather loudly all the way up to Daniel's loft. Becks produced a spare key Daniel had given him. He put his finger up to his lips for the girls to quiet down. He opened the door, and looked around.

"I guess he's still out. Let me go see if he's got any liquor. I'm sure the man at least has some beer in the fridge. Maybe some wine. Name your poison, ladies."

Christine followed Becks into the kitchen, "Are you sure he won't mind that we're here uninvited?"

"Nah, Daniel and me go way back. He always gives me his key and tells me to crash here when I'm in town."

After they had talked for a while, Becks went to answer the door when the buzzer rang. He opened it to see Sofia standing in a trench coat, "Hello, is Daniel here?"

"Well, whatever you're selling, baby; I'm definitely buying. Daniel's not here right now, sorry. Can I take a message? I'd be happy to have you come in and give it to me." he said suggestively, grinning at her.

"I'm sure you would." She stepped inside.

Daniel heard talking and suddenly came out of his bedroom, wearing his boxers, and leaned against the doorway, looking slightly groggy, like he just got up, "Sofia?"

"Hey, baby. I got here as soon as I got your message."

Daniel rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. "Message? What message?" He looked around the room, realizing Becks was there with Christina and Betty. "Becks? Betty? What the hell are you guys all doing here?"

Betty stood up, tears welling up in her eyes, "Becks thought you might need a friend to talk to, but I guess SHE is who you called to comfort you, huh, Daniel?"

She rushed past Becks and Sofia, and turned to face Daniel, "I guess it shouldn't surprise me. You still want her, even knowing what she was planning to do.

She's the sexy one, so...have fun. I mean God knows you couldn't hold out without having sex this long! Obviously she's very obliging."

She turned to Becks and Christine, "Let's go, guys. He's already got his little sex therapist. He doesn't need any friends."

Becks looked at Daniel and shrugged, as he turned to go with Christina and Betty, "I'll see that Betty gets home safely, Daniel. Have fun, I guess." He seemed a little surprised and disappointed.

"Becks, wait!" Daniel looked at Sofia with contempt. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway? I never sent you any message to come.

I told you before, I know all about your little scam to try and get me to propose for your damn story. Get out! I never want to lay eyes on you again."

Sofia looked confused, "I did get a message from you, Daniel. It said you were upset about your brother and you needed comforting, all was forgiven."

"I never sent that-or any other message to you."

Daniel realized he needed to stop Betty before she left. He looked at Becks, "If you really want to help, get rid of HER!" he motioned to Sofia.

Becks shrugged, "My pleasure, Daniel. You go, chase Betty. I got this!" He looked Sofia up and down, grinning.

Daniel ran down the stairs, and caught the elevators just in time as Betty and Christina were getting off.

"Betty, stop, please?" Daniel was panting from running down the four flights of stairs.

She stood there, waiting for him to catch his breath. Christina, pulled Betty aside, "Listen, luv. I've seen how he's looked at you since you first got here, even before your big make-over.

The man truly cares about you. You may be addicted to him, but I think the feeling just might be mutual. It won't hurt to hear him out. Don't go jumping to any conclusions."

Betty took a breath, and looked up at Daniel, trying to stand straight and supress a case of hiccups. Daniel smiled, "Are you okay, Betty? Did you get drunk?"

"A little, yes. It's not every day you catch your boss/boyfriend making out with your sister on the same day he finds out his dead brother is really now his sister!

Then Becks brought us here to help cheer you up and for me to talk to you about Hilda, only to find you had called that woman here to...comfort you in your bed or something!

I honestly don't think I'm drunk enough to deal with this crazy day and night!"

Daniel had finally caught his breath. Christina walked around them. "Betty, I'm going to go catch a cab. Good luck you, two. I hope you work things out.

You're both daft fer each other, that's fer sure! Good night, Betty. Daniel. You might want to think about putting some clothes on, before you catch your death!"

Daniel nodded and put his head down for a minute, trying to gather his thoughts. "Betty. I did NOT call her. I don't know what she is talking about, I swear to you.

I did get a little drunk earlier, before Hilda... kissed me, but then I had such a headache from it, I just turned my phone off and tried to sleep it off. The next thing I know, you guys are all at my apartment, and she makes her little entrance.

And as far as your sister goes, Betty, I would never hurt you like that. I told you, we were just talking before you came out, then the next thing I know, she's kissing me.

I'm not sure how you guys deal with your little competitions, not really knowing how sister's rivalries work, but I'm pretty sure she was just using me to get back at you.

She knows how I feel about you, because normally, she seemed really protective of you, when she called and told me about the whole Vincent thing. But I did NOT kiss her, okay?"

Betty smiled slightly, "So, poor little Daniel has just been set up, huh? Must be terrible to be you, Daniel. Having women throw themselves at you all the time."

He laughed slightly, "Well, maybe in some cases I might actually enjoy that. But this time, I'm not really very happy about it. I'm TRYING very hard to prove to you what you mean to me and I keep getting all these crazy road blocks."

Betty thought a minute, "Do you think that means we ARE supposed to just stay friends, Daniel? Maybe the universe is trying to prevent us from being anything more."

"Stop it, Betty. I'm sorry, but if that's the case, then I don't care. The universe can go to hell. I know what I want. And it isn't your sister, and it definitely isn't Sofia!

Think about it; do I really look that stupid to want her after what she was planning to do to me?"

"No."

"Well, then." He grabbed her around her waist.

"Daniel."

"Betty, I know things don't look good. Maybe you think you have no reason to trust me. But, I just ran after you down four flights of stairs in my damn underwear! If I wanted Sofia, I would have stayed upstairs with her and just let you go.

But, either she's lying, which is very likely, or somebody is playing a cruel joke. Either way, I don't want HER. I only want you. Do you believe me?"

She hesitated. He grabbed her around her waist, and led them back into the elevator, pushing the button to go back upstairs. "Christina's right. I'm getting cold here. Can we discuss this upstairs, while I put on some clothes? Or, maybe take off the ones I have, but at least in private? Unless you're into PDA." He leaned forward to kiss her.

She tried to back away, and put up her hand, "Just a (hiccup)damn! stupid hiccups! minute, Daniel.

I don't know why you (hiccup) think I'm going to forgive and forget just because you flash your cute little puppy dog eyes at me when you're standing here in your underwear, all sweaty and sexy, and oh, hell..." she pulled him towards her and kissed him thoroughly, running her hands through his hair.

She pushed him against the side of the elevator and continued to kiss him until he pulled away, laughing. "I think I like you when you're a little tipsy, Betty. You're sure a lot more hands-on! Did that cure your hiccups?" He still held onto her waist.

She nodded and smiled, "Actually, I think it did! Thanks."

He leaned his forehead against hers, "No, thank YOU, Betty. I'm sorry about all the crazy misunderstandings today.

This has been a really shitty day! I'm so glad you stopped and that you cared enough to come check on me after this stuff with Alex and my dad."

She nodded, stroking the back of his hair, "I know. I can't believe they arrested your father, Daniel! Not to mention all that stuff about Alex or what did she call herself, Alex-is? That's so...wow!"

He nodded, "You can say that again. I'm sure Jerry Springer will be calling any minute, if he hasn't already! You think you've got it bad with having a little rivalry or whatever with your sister. At least she's always BEEN your sister!"

"True. Perspective, I guess. I'm sorry I doubted you, Daniel. I know Hilda was just really angry with me, so she did the one thing she knew would make me the maddest!

But I know her, once she sobers up and realizes what she did, she'll apologize. She'd better!

She has been going through some stuff with Justin's father, Santos, and with her being unemployed, I know it's been rough on her.

I probably shouldn't have gotten so annoyed with her as to fire her. I overreacted out of jealousy. I know I'm sort of anal sometimes."

Daniel smiled, "No comment."


	19. Chapter 19 Sibling Rivalry

**Chapter 19: Sibling Rivalry**

**Disclaimer: I don't own UGLY BETTY!**

**After I finished writing this, I was surprised to see it seemed a lot more recognizeable to the original than I first thought. After I broke it into two chapters, this first part actually holds up a lot closer to canon.**

"Daniel, you do believe me, don't you? I didn't kill Fey."

"I want to believe you, Dad. I really do." Daniel looked through the glass at his father, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, a far cry from the well-dressed publishing tycoon he was used to seeing.

"How are you?"

"As well as can be expected in here, I suppose. Listen, Daniel, get me Grace Chin. I hear she's the best lawyer.

And I'm going to need the best. I swear, as soon as I get out of here, I'm going to find out who set me up, too!"

"Grace Chin?" Why did that name sound so familiar, Daniel wondered?

Betty, meanwhile, had taken the opportunity to sit down with her sister and have a good talk.

Hilda, as Betty predicted, was extremely penitant and repentant as soon as she sobered up and cooled off from getting drunk after Betty's firing of her.

"Betty, mami, I'm sooo sorry! Seriously, I don't know what made me do that with Daniel. I just was so furious with you and I felt so awful about being useless and you seemed to be getting everything. I guess I was really jealous, too.

It's like, ever since you started working at Mode, all your dreams have come true. Yet, here I sit, like a lump. Nobody was hiring me. Betty, I've got no skills.

I have to flirt with the guys and make the girls laugh, because it doesn't take long for people to see, there's not much else to me.

You, you're so smart and ambitious! Look at you, you're already going to be an editor. But, God, I know you like Daniel so much, maybe even...love him? I think I overheard him asking Justin how to say he loved you in Spanish?

I don't know why I got so jealous, Betty. I...I'm really sorry. Do you forgive me?

I guess ever since I lost all the money Santos gave us for papi, and lost my job, I feel like you do everything and I do stupid stuff like believe that crazy lawyer! I'm no help to this family at all!"

Betty hugged her sister, feeling compassion for her. "Hilda, it's okay. I know you were really drunk and really mad.

Not a good combination for anybody, but especially not for us. I thought things were going better with Santos, now?

And as far as papi goes, remember, I told you, Daniel has his family lawyers looking into it for us."

"Yeah, but Betty, with all that's going on with Daniel's father right now, I don't think papi's immigration problems are going to be at the top of their list."

Betty thought for a minute, "You know, you're right, Hilda. I didn't stop to think about that. Everything has happened so fast.

I'm really worried about how Daniel and his family are going to deal with this whole thing with Alexis.

Not to mention, his dad getting arrested for Fey's murder. It's just such a nightmare! I don't know what to do to help them.

Daniel went to visit his dad today in jail. He asked me to check on his mom and see how she's doing.

He said she was out shopping with his...uh sister, and he couldn't deal with it."

"Whoa! I can't even imagine!"

Betty sat at the table, trying to calm herself from her fears about her own family's future. Her father, her sister's and her own. "I feel guilty thinking about this with all that Daniel's family has to deal with right now, but I'm worried about becoming an editor.

Daniel's dad obviously isn't going to be able to run the company from prison!"

"Doesn't that mean Daniel will be running Meade? Isn't he in charge, now? I thought you said Daniel's dad told him he was planning on giving him more power at the Fashion show?"

"Well, he was. But, now...since Alex isn't really dead, I don't know what's going to happen! I need to get to work, and see if I even have a job and try to talk to Mrs. Meade for Daniel.

Listen, I'm sorry, too, Hilda. I shouldn't have fired you. You know, you really did do a good job on the models' hair. Maybe you should go to beauty school!"

Hilda hugged her tightly, "Betty, you're such a good person. I don't deserve to have you as a sister!"

Betty giggled, in spite of the situation, "Daniel said, at least you've always been my sister! Imagine how he must feel, to have had a brother and now he's his sister?

You know, Becks even hit on her? From what he told me, I think she was sort of hitting on Daniel, just to mess with his head or something."

"Ew! That's disgusting! That's one sick family. Sorry, I know Daniel's nice, but his family is very strange."

Ignacio and Justin had been watching all the news concerning Alexis and Bradford on Fashion Buzz.

Ignacio seemed fascinated by the gender re-assignment surgery Alexis had undergone. Betty tried to explain, but gave up, sighing.

Hilda snickered, "I heard they keep _it _in a jar!" They all exchanged uncomfortable looks. Betty shook herself at the thought and went off to Mode.

Of course, on the way to her office, Betty found herself in the elevator, looking up at Alexis Meade. She couldn't help but stare at the unbelievably tall woman. Alexis' six foot frame towered about Betty's five feet two inches , (well, five five with her three inch heels).

Finally, Alexis told her all she had done in her various surgeries. "And to put a rumor to rest, I didn't keep IT in a jar!" She put her hand on the hormone patch on her bare arm, "I didn't quit smoking, this is a hormone patch to help the hair growth."

Betty said, "Really? That sounds interesting. Because I have to bleach all the time."

Alexis smiled at the curious young woman. Betty started to introduce herself, "I'm sorry. I'm Betty..."

"Betty Suarez, Daniel's assistant. I know who you are, Betty. My mother couldn't say enough nice things about you. You seem to have charmed the whole family.

Or what's left of it. I really haven't had a heart-to-heart with dear old dad at this point, or Daniel, for that matter."

Betty squared her shoulders, "You know, I'm sure this has to be hard on everyone, you especially. But, I think you'll find that if you give him a chance to come to terms with this, Daniel will eventually come around.

He really missed you. He took it pretty hard, thinking he had lost you. Your whole family did. It may take them some time to adjust, but I'm sure they will be so relieved you're alive, they'll get over any hard feelings they may have at first."

"The little peacemaker, hard at work, huh? Well, you may be quite the charmer, Betty. God knows, my parents are sure crazy about you.

And I've honestly never seen Daniel act so nice to a woman before he wasn't trying to sleep with, although I hear there are rumors about that, so maybe you should be careful with my brother. He can't have changed his spots THAT much.

The Daniel Meade I know and remember, would have had you for lunch and be on to another girl for dinner. No offense. You're very pretty.

I was really surprised seeing how nice he actually was to you yesterday, when you looked kind of frazzled, not so glammed up. Daniel hasn't always been so nice to women, especially ones who he wasn't sleeping with. He used to be pretty much..."

"Please stop, Alexis. I'm well aware of Daniel's past behavior. Believe me, I've witnessed it. But, you of all people should know how much a person can change if they really want to.

Daniel has changed as much on the inside as you have on the outside. So, since he's still your brother, don't you think you should give him the benefit of the doubt? Do you have to make him the enemy, just because you're angry with your father?" She turned to leave with a slight smile.

Alexis was dumbfounded at this little fireball. Wilhelmina had convinced her that Betty was going to ruin all their plans for taking over the company, because she had her own agenda.

But now, after meeting the girl, she seemed to honestly just be concerned about their family healing.

She hadn't even mentioned her own position or how the company would be affected by the return of the eldest son to power.

Wilhelmina was fuming in her office, pacing and practically screaming at Marc. "Where has Alexis been all day?"

"I heard she went power shopping with Mommy Meade! I guess Claire wanted to show that she is just as happy to have two sons with no balls!"

Wilhelmina smiled, delicously at Marc's comment at Daniel's expense. She knew that Marc had been very upset that Bradford and Daniel seemed hell bent on promoting Betty so quickly to editor after he had been slaving for almost three years with no promotion of any kind.

"Aw, Marc, that was one of your better ones. You deserve to be an editor far more than Betty. I uassure you, once I have something to say about it, you'll be rewarded for your loyalty."

He looked at her, his queen. Sometimes she really got him, "Do you mean it, Willi? After all this time, you are finally ready to give me a promotion?"

"Of course, Marc. I would have done it years ago, but Bradford kept me in this ridicuously innefectual position, with no real power.

Now that I'm finally going to get what I deserve and become the Editor-in-Chief of Mode, I'm going to be making a lot of changes. First of which is to cut Miss Suarez loose! See how well she does where she belongs, on the unemployment line!"

Marc felt a small twinge of guilt. In spite of his worst efforts during the past few months to try and get 'dirt' on Betty, she had done nothing but be fairly nice to him (and Amanda), even though she was clearly smart enough to know that they were making fun of her and in his case, spying on her for Wilhelmina.

"Can you please tell me how you expect me to ever adjust to the fact that in spite of the fact that I was born having an older brother, I now have an older sister?"

Daniel told his mother, as she swooped into his office, showing him some dress she had bought for Alex-is, his uh...sibling.

"I don't see how or why you seem to be so damn happy about everything, Mom. Dad is in jail and Alex is a woman? That's so messed up!

Our family is a disaster! We're a laughing stock. How are you not upset? Hell, I'm ready to start drinking myself!"

She looked at him, still smiling, "Daniel, don't joke about that. You know it's hereditary."

"Yeah, I always thought you got it from Uncle Jack."  
"Well, yes. Of course, your father's affairs didn't help."  
"So, is that why you're willing to let him rot in jail? I thought you still loved him, though, Mom. Do you really think he killed her?

I know he's not the warm and cuddly type, but...I can't, well I don't want to believe he killed Fey."

"I know your father is capable of many things, Daniel. But, no. I also know he didn't kill Fey Sommers. As far as your sister is concerned, I'm happy because my child was dead.

Now, I have a child again. I frankly don't care if she's a woman or not. As long as she's alive!"

Daniel shook his head. "I guess. I just don't know where that leaves the company, though. Did _she_ say if _she _wants to run one of the magazines at Meade?"

He was concerned Alexis would insist Betty was not qualified to serve as an editor, in spite of the trust his father and he had in her abilities. She was very young and inexperienced, he knew.

He hated that she had her hopes up, now to have this crazy twist knock her dreams down possibly.

He had called a meeting for the staff to try and calm everyone, in spite of his own queazy fears for the future of Meade Publications right now. He kissed his mother and headed off to the meeting.

As soon as he started, he heard the voice he had already learned to fear and loathe behind him, "Aww, how cute! Danny is playing big boss man, pretending to run a meeting!

I'm sorry, but the charter is pretty clear, Daniel. In the event of daddy dearest's incapacitation, the ELDEST son, Alex Spencer Meade becomes the head of the company."

Daniel grew livid, turning to face his amazonian _sister._ "You seem to forget, ALEX Meade died two years ago. YOU are no longer Alex.

It doesn't say anything about the oldest SISTER, does it? I already filed an injunction this morning to prevent you from doing anything like this. Try again, Alex-IS!

Why don't you run along and get a nice manicure, SIS?"

Alexis lunged at Daniel, "Why you little weasel! You think you're so smart! I bet Betty is the one who tipped you off. You're too stupid to think of anything on your own. I'm sure you..."

"Stop it, you two! You sound ridiculous!" Wilhelmina and Betty were both trying to seperate the two siblings from grabbing each other, ripping each other's clothes and hair, and wrestling one another.

Betty found herself agreeing with Wilhelmina, "Yes, stop it. Everyone is watching. You can't fight like she's your brother anymore, either, Daniel. Just knock it off, both of you. I'm going to call Claire!"

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes, "Oh, yes, Betty, by all means, let's call Mommy Dearest to send them both to bed without their yachts or islands! Will both of you try to pretend you're adults, please?"

"I agree. You're both acting very childish!" Betty was astonished at being on Wilhelmina's side, but she had a point.

"She started it!" Daniel yelled, pointing at Alexis.

"You did, you big baby! You can't run a company! I'm surprised you can tie your own shoelaces!"

He rolled his eyes, "For God's sake, Alex, will you let that go? I was four years old! You were my big brother. Who else was going to teach me?"

She looked at him with fury, "For the last time, DANNY, it's Alex-IS!"

"FINE, it's DANIEL, too!"

"Fine!"

"Oh, good lord. Now I know how a kindergarten teacher feels! Betty, I give up. I was supposed to become the Editor-in-Chief today.

Alexis was going to announce it. But I have no interest in working for a company with children running things.

YOU can try to straighten this out, with your little Polllyanna attitude, if you like. I'm going to leave Mode until Alexis kicks Daniel out, like she promised me.

In the meantime, good luck dealing with these overprivileged adolescents! I've had it! I have a headache.

I'm going home to use all the vacation I've accumulated, and I'm not coming back until I'M the Editor-in-Chief!" She stormed out.

"MARC! Are you coming?" She demanded. Marc was dumbfounded, but followed her hesitantly, "But Willi! What are you going to DO now?"

Betty practically dragged the two fighting Meades out by their ears. "Come on, you two! I'm calling your mother! Maybe she can talk some sense into both of you."

Alexis rolled her eyes, but was finding Betty surprisingly strong, "So, you got your little girlfriend fighting your battles for you, now, Danny boy?

Too bad they didn't put my balls in a jar. Maybe I could have donated them so you'd finally have a pair of your very own!"

Daniel broke away from Betty, "Betty, cut it out! This isn't funny. She's ridiculous, coming in here after two years of putting us all through hell, pretending to be dead, just so SHE could play dress up.

I guess working around all the models made you want to play Barbie doll or something? Seriously, how can you live with yourself after pretending to be dead!

Do you know Mom nearly drank herself to death, grieving over you? Now she's all ready to forgive and forget, she's just so happy to have you back from the dead, no matter what...you are!"

Betty gave him a warning glance, "Daniel...don't."

"What? Betty, I'm sorry, but SHE didn't think about anybody but herself. What about the rest of us who mourned and cried for...for what? So she could..."

"Enough! You have NO idea what I was feeling, what I felt my whole life, and especially how it felt to have my own father..."

"What? Dad adored you! You could do no wrong. You were the golden child, Alex; it was always you. I was nothing, I was the extra, throw away. You got everything!

Now, just when Dad finally sees me as a real man, as worthy to do the job, you come back and take it all away from me, just like you did when we were kids!

From where I'm standing, you STILL haven't changed at all, boobs or not."

Claire had come when Betty stepped into the outer office and called, telling her what was going on with her children. She stood in the doorway, shaking her head.

"I spoke to your father."  
"You called him in jail?" Daniel asked.

"No, I went to see him this morning before I took you shopping, Alexis. He wanted to cut you out of Mode. But I told him no.

I wasn't having it. You two are going to figure this out. You can't act like you're five year olds, anymore. You're both adults now."

"BUT MOM!" they both whined at the same time.

Daniel looked at his mother, "Mom, I'm sorry to say this, I don't mean to disrespect you, but even in jail, Dad let you tell him no?"

"He had no choice when it comes to Mode, dear. It belongs to me. He put it in my name years ago for tax purposes. I say what goes at Mode and I say you are both going to run the company, together.

So, grow up and learn to work as a team, instead of fighting. It's about time you two learned to share!"


	20. Chapter 20 Changes in the Air

**Chapter 20 Changes in the Air**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!_

The next several weeks were a blur for Daniel. With his father in jail, and his mother insisting he try to work with Alexis, he felt like his life was spinning out of control.

He found himself trying to deal with all these changes more and more by drinking. Betty tried to reach out to him, but he did what he often did when he was upset, he withdrew from her and from his mother.

He was angry and hurt that his brother Alex seemed to once again, be 'winning' and he was losing out on finally getting the recognition for pleasing his father.

He continued trying to seek his father's approval by finding the lawyer Bradford had requested. To his horror, once Daniel researched her, he found that he had actually gone to college with Grace Chin, and had stood her up.

There was an unanny resemblance to Grace's former look and Betty's.

He called Becks to ask what he thought he should do. "I can't ask her to be my dad's lawyer, Becks! She'll never do it. I stood her up!"

Becks looked at the picture of Grace from college, "Good call, Daniel. Woof! Well, maybe she won't remember you. It's been over ten years. You've both changed. Hell, maybe she's even uglier and has a bunch of cats now. She might be happy to get a call from a man, period."

"I don't know, Becks. She's a high-powered lawyer, now. I doubt she's all that pathetic or needy. Hell, at least she made something of herself.

She's not living off her parent's money, like me, wthout anything to show for it. I haven't done one damn thing with all my money except waste it!"

Betty stuck her head in the door, "Hey, Becks! Um, If you don't need anything, I think I'm going to take off for the night, Daniel."

"Betty, wait. Can we...talk?" Daniel knew he had been putting off talking to Betty for far too long. He missed their closeness.

Since the whole dead brother-turned sister fiasco, they had drifted apart, and he knew it was his fault for pushing Betty away and hiding out, like he always did.

Becks knew they needed privacy. "Say, I've got a date, anyway. I'll see you guys later. Make nice, now, you two."

He smiled at Betty and patted her on the back as he left, whispering, "He needs you. He's just too stubborn to admit it, Betty." She nodded.

Betty asked, "So, how are things going, Daniel? We haven't really spoken, outside of work for a while.

Are you okay? You've looked a little rough around the edges lately. Have you been sleeping?"

"Betty, I have a mother, you know. You don't have to do that. Baby me." He tried not to sound annoyed.

"Yes, I know. I spoke to your mother several times. which is evidently more than you have.

You can't continue to cut her and me and everyone who loves you off because you're upset about Alexis coming back and taking away your share or whatever this behavior is about!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help it, Betty. Part of me wishes he had just stayed gone. I didn't want Alex to die. But, I don't know how to deal with all of this!

I finally felt like my dad and I were starting to connect a little and he was starting to trust me. Now, SHE messed everything up!"

"How do you think SHE feels? I'm sure it had to be hell for her to make her do something like this in the first place, Daniel.

Have you ever tried just talking to her? Your mom asked me to get you to come to dinner and meet with her and Alexis."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun! Me in the house of pain with Mom and her new little baby girl!

Betty, I'm really sorry if I'm not living up to your expectations, but I don't know how to handle this. Who would? It's a total nightmare!"

Not only did it hurt her feelings that just when they seemed to be getting closer, Daniel cut her off and took to his old ways of drinking and partying, but she was worried he was falling into old patterns.

She knew he had been photographed in many of New York's hottest clubs, recently. In some cases, he was surrounded by the 'beautiful people' and Betty had her doubts about how far he would or possibly had let things go with the women he was surrounding himself with lately.

"Forget my expectations, Daniel. You've got a lot on your plate right now, I know.

My family has our own problems, too. I understand that sometimes family issues override...personal relationships."

He was leaning against the top of his desk, as she came closer to him.

"You don't have to be alone, though. No matter what, I'll always be your friend, Daniel. I wish you wouldn't shut me out.

Whatever you're going through, I'd like to help if I can. I can at least listen to you. But you push me further and further away. I don't know where we stand right now."

"I'm sorry, Betty. I don't really know what to do about us. I do care about you, very much. I'm glad Mom insisted Alexis go ahead with making you editor at MYW. Even if things are on hold with the launch date right now. But, I miss you.

I feel like I'm just drifting sometimes without you here, helping me stay on track. I didn't realize how much I had come to depend on you.

You were always way more than just an assistant. You were my partner. We made a good team, Betty."

Betty looked down, as she reached for his hand, "What about...personally? Daniel, I thought we were going to go out, now that I'm no longer your assistant. You haven't called.

I barely see you anymore. I'm busy at MYW, too. Really busy. But, I would have made time for you. I can't help if you don't let me."

He looked down at her hand in his. His eyes filled with emotion. "I know. I don't know why I always do this, Betty.

I hate to be such a disappointment to the people I love, so I just hide away from them sometimes, bury my head in the sand."

She took a breath. "I hate to ask, Daniel. But, I've seen you on page six a lot, lately. Have you...been 'dating'?

Because I haven't. I thought we meant something to each other. But, I think I deserve to know what's going on. If you're not going to ask me out, that's...well, it is what it is.

I'm not happy about it, but I'll survive. I have been asked out, though and I think if you're seeing other girls, you at least owe me the courtesy of dumping me.

Don't just leave me on the hook, pining away for you while you go out and sleep with your party girls."

He smiled, and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "I haven't slept with anybody, Betty. I've definitely been drinking a lot, yes. But, I am still hung up on you.

I just was too upset to ask you out, what with all the chaos going on in my life right now. As far as your dad is concerned, the lawyer told me he would need to return to Mexico for a while to re-apply for citizenship.

I know how your family is, so I got you all tickets to go with him. I figured you need a vacation, anyway. Things at MYW are...kind of on hold until the thing with my dad gets resolved.

He said he was sorry, but we just can't go ahead with launching a new magazine until he gets out of this mess. It's nothing personal.

He loves your ideas. It's just too much for a family business to handle, even one as big as Meade Publishing.

There isn't anybody he trusts more, he said. But...well, you are young, Betty. It's a lot to have to start a new magazine, for anybody.

Now, with Wilhelmina gone, too, it's all we can do to get Mode shipped out, let alone try and launch a whole new format. I'm sorry."

Betty felt a lump in her throat. She knew this was coming. Even though Bradford and Betty had actually started forming a bond. She had felt a sense of pride, working with the man who had hired her.

But Daniel was right, Bradford had bigger problems of his own right now. He had to have his own freedom before he could be anyone's mentor.

"I understand. What about all the staff?"

"They'll all just get absorbed into jobs in other magazines for now. We can give some of them early retirement options, the few that are old enough. Most will just work elsewhere in the company.

Then, when things are back to normal, you can all re-group and proceed with your ideas." He put his hand on her shoulder,

"This isn't going to be forever, Betty. He still wants you there. I thought about asking you to come back here with me at Mode. Nobody can replace you as far as I'm concerned.

But, maybe this would be a good time to deal with your family problems. I'll still be here, too."

She nodded, looking at the tickets he handed her, "So...about us? I guess we're on hold, too, then?"

"For now. Sort of, I...don't want you to worry, though, Betty. I'm not going to go back to whoring around. I do miss you. I just don't know what to do about anything right now.

I feel like my whole life is in limbo. I'm afraid to pursue anything with you, as much as part of me wants to...so much. But, I don't know what you'd be getting into with me."

She looked around. Everyone seemed to have gone home for the evening. She would have to make the big announcement tomorrow that MYW would have to postpone its' launch. Everyone expected it, so it wouldn't be that much of a shock.

Betty had tried to keep hope alive with her staff, but they had all seen the writing on the wall.

Like Daniel had said, it was a family business, bottom line. And with the family in this much crisis, it had to effect the company Bradford had built.

"Have you heard from Wilhelmina, Daniel?"

"Not a word. It's like she vanished. I know it sounds creepy, but sometimes I feel like she's watching me, though, still.

If she's seriously not coming back, we're going to need a new Creative Director. We can't have so many gaps in the company and still survive.

It's not really going to be our best issue this month, I'm afraid."

"Daniel, the one good thing about all this publicity around your family is, your going to sell like hotcakes.

It may be tough, but if you just do one personal little blurb about what's going on inside the Meade family, you won't be able to keep them off the shelves.

It wouldn't have to be anything huge or earth-shatering. Maybe just make your letter from the editor a little about what's going on with welcoming back Alexis."

He looked at her as if she had told him his hair was on fire, "You're joking, right? I mean, you're smart, Betty.

From a business standpoint, I can see where you're coming from, I'm sure it _would _boost ad sales through the roof. We've got so much buzz right now, it would really help financially. I just...don't know if I can."

She started to leave, "Well, think about it. It might go a long way to smooth things over with Alexis, too.

Remember, she initially planned to edge you out and have Wilhelmina take over, so the fact that she's listening to your mom and at least trying to work with you says a lot.

You...really should go meet tomorrow at your mom's, too, Daniel. You have to work through this, as hard as it is. Just like, I guess I have to go with my papi to Mexico and help him.

Thank you, by the way." She waved the tickets. She looked at them closely, "First class? I've never even flown on plane before. You're going to spoil me, Daniel."

He walked over to her, "You deserve to be spoiled, Betty. I...I'm sorry to put things off with us. I just don't think it would be fair to you. I want you to know, though. I really wish things were different.

I think you deserve somebody better than me. Not some guy with all my problems. You're too good a person for me and my..."

Betty put her hands up to his cheek and kissed him. He responded and wrapped his arms around her back.

She was so warm and inviting, all his reservations and concerns melted away. She felt like home. When they finally parted, she smiled,

"Don't you think it's up to me to decide who's good enough for me, Daniel? Please, if I was willing to settle for Walter, or Henry, or Vincent, I think I can muddle through with you and your family issues.

Everybody has their own problems, Daniel. I've had to deal with my dad's HMO not covering his medication because he was trying to use a social security number that belonged to a dead guy!

My sister goes and kisses you one day, then a week later, gets engaged to Justin's dad.

My dad's case worker stalked him, along with Walter stalking me, so, I mean, please, you're not even that much of a mess.

So your dead brother is now your sister that you don't get along with and your dad's in jail for killing his mistress, so what?

What's a little craziness among...boyfriend and girlfriend? I would really like that date you promised me _before_ you send me off to Mexico, just so I know before I go, that I have a boyfriend to come back to?"

He nodded and held her face in his hands, "Why are you so patient with me? I try to practically push you away, because I don't want you to get involved in all my drama, but you don't ever give up on me, do you, Betty?

You never do, no matter what I put you through. Okay, how about Friday night? I'll take you out somewhere really nice after work. I promise, I'll go to my mom's tomorrow, too, alright? Happy?" he smiled.

She nodded, "Very." She smiled back at him as he slowly kissed her, as if he hadn't seen her in years.

She responded, and he got swept away in how good it felt to finally kiss her and hold her in his arms. Before he realized it, he had pulled Betty towards the chaise, and started caressing her just a little too much.

She began to pull away, "Daniel, I...think we should save this for when we're alone, don't you? I'd at least like one date before you start pawing at me."

She smiled, but continued to hold him at arms' length, as he began kissing her neck and breathing her in.

"God, you smell so good, Betty. I really wish we could just go back to my place right now and finish this."

"Daniel!" Alexis had come to the door and was watching with her eyes wide. "So, this is what you pass off as a hard day at work, huh?"


	21. Chapter 21 Daniel's Dilemna

**Chapter 21 Daniel's Dilemna**

_Okay, now that we're all (myself included) comfortable with the ripples Wilbur (sorry, Walter!) and Betty's timing, poncho, the Glass Door, not to mention Betty's fairy godmother/tooth fairy all made in Betty's life, let's see what ripples Alex/Alexis (not to mention Sofia) has caused in both Betty and more specifically Daniel's! Don't worry, this won't be turning into Betty La Bonita or a telenovela. (I don't speak Spanish)!_

Daniel left Alexis standing with her mouth open, as he pulled Betty from his office, "Come on, I've had it" to face Alexis as he passed her, "You want this place so much, you can have it!

I'm done fighting with you over something I only pretended to want to try and impress Dad. You're a better editor than I am.

You always were, AlexIS. I'm a big enough man to admit it. Just take it, take it all! I'm done here." He grabbed Betty's hand and pulled her out to the elevators with him.

After they had gotten in, Betty looked at him, "Daniel? Are you alright? Were you serious? You're not going to stay at Mode? What are you going to do, then?"

"I don't know. I really feel like I need to start over completely, Betty. I know my dad built this business as his legacy. But, honestly, I've always felt like that didn't necessarily include me, anyway. Alex was the one he was grooming, not me.

This was never my dream. Like I said, I've only been killing myself doing this for him. That's one reason I've wasted my life running around, acting like the eternal playboy, I've been avoiding this my whole life.

This was always Alex's dream as much as my father's; I'm sure it's why they bonded so much.

I just have this gut feeling that no matter how hard I try, I'm going to end up walking away from Mode anyway somewhere down the line.

Isn't that what you said your latest future dream involved me doing, leaving Mode and following after you to London? Why wait? I'm not saying we should leave New York, necessarily. I just think..."

Betty got an idea, "Daniel, this might sound crazy, but why don't you come with my family and me to Mexico? Not for good or anything, just until you decide what you want to do.

If you're really serious about leaving Mode anyway, just come with us for a while." As much as she really wanted him to come, she felt guilty, too.

"I am worried about your dad, though. I know he will be disappointed. I feel like you'd be deserting him, just when you were starting to get closer. Did you find a good lawyer for him?"

"That's just another big disappointment I'm going to leave him with, Betty." he hung his head, "The lawyer he asked me to get, Grace Chin? She'll never work for me. Not after what I did to her."

Betty didn't know if she wanted to hear this, but she needed to, "What?"

"I uh...stood her up for a date back in college."

Betty smiled, "Well, actually, that's a lot better than I was thinking. I thought maybe you got her pregnant and then started asking other girls out or something."

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes, "Did that Grubstick guy ask you out again, or something, Betty? Is that who you were talking about earlier?

And did you say Walter was stalking you? You blurted out a whole bunch of information earlier, and honestly, I wanted to kiss you so bad, I only heard about half of it."

She smiled, slipping her arm through his, relishing just how completely familiar that little action felt.

Something about them together felt so...right, so meant to be. All these things that kept trying to keep them apart somehow didn't seem to matter right now.

"Daniel, do you feel really close to me?" She leaned against him as they walked.

He smiled down at her, "What do you mean, like how we can talk for hours and never get tired of hearing each other say stupid things?" he teased.

She hit his arm, and he rubbed it, "What? I don't say stupid things, speak for yourself."

"Okay, It's just me saying stupid things, then. All the things you say are completely brilliant." he rolled his eyes.

"Well, you don't have to be so sarcastic about it, you know what I mean, we have...something special, don't we? Is it just me that feels it?

I don't know that I did at first, but...something changed that day you listened to me about the Fabia account.

I can't explain it, I just felt like I was going down a totally different path than I thought I was on when I first started at Mode, than when we first met.

He nodded, "Yeah, I feel that, too. I feel closer to you than to anybody I've ever met.

I think having that stupid fling with Sofia showed me some things about myself, too, and about what's really important to me."

He looked down as they walked, "Betty, can I ask something, without you thinking I'm stuck up or full of myself?"

"I would never think that about you, Daniel. I know you well enough to know you're too goofy with your high fives and silly smiles to be all that pompous. Why do you ask?"

He laughed. She always made him laugh, no matter what was going on, "Well, to be honest, I was wondering about something Amanda said to me the other day.

She said that you only got your braces changed and your contacts and everything AFTER you found out why my dad originally hired you. So, I was just wondering.

Is she right? Did you change for me? Because, as much as I love the way you look now, I want you to know, you didn't have to change for me.

I admit, I do like being able to see your great smile, that much is true. But, other than that, I've always though you were beautiful. You are beautiful, Betty; I want you to know that." He stopped to brush her hair away from her face and stroke her cheek gently.

"You know, in fact, I've always kind of had a thing for girls with glasses. There's just something really sexy about taking them off, just before you get seriously turned on, you know?

Plus, I think it's kind of awesome to see just how hot and bothered I can make a really smart girl who thinks she's so logical and 'above it all'. It's a lot more of a challenge."

Betty smiled," So, you're saying I can ditch the contacts for a while and you'll still think I'm sexy?"

"Definitely. You could even wear those hot PJ's and your mask, and you wouldn't keep me away. Just seeing you does something to my heart. You make me feel like smiling every time I see you, Betty.

When I'm with you, I don't care about anything else bad that's going on in my life. You really are like some sort of force of nature. I don't know, like...sunshine, I guess." He seemed at a loss for words, and laughed at himself.

"On a cloudy day? That was cute, Daniel. Maybe a _little _bit corny, but very cute. You're mom was right about you.

You've really got that little boy routine down. You're quite the charmer. I guess I can see how you get into so many girls' pants!" she teased.

He pretended to be shocked at her, but smirked, "Miss Suarez! I have no idea what you're talking about! Me? Charm ladies? Wherever did you get the idea that I did that?"

She pulled his hand towards a cab she had hailed. Once they got in, she told the driver Daniel's address. He looked at her, "So, where are we going now?"

"You tell me, Daniel. This is your mid-life crisis or whatever you want to call it. I'm just taking you home. If you want to come to Mexico with me and my family, you're more than welcome.

But, I think you should at least talk to your family and TELL them you're leaving, even if it's only for a while. Are you sure you want to step away from Mode and just let Alexis have complete control?"

He nodded, "I am, Betty. I know it may sound crazy, but something about this feels right. I feel like if I don't get out now, I'll be headed for disaster. Like how you kept me from making the huge mistake with Philippe and that disaster car crash photo shoot with Fabia, and so many other things."

She smiled, "Well, you kept me from making a complete idiot of myself my first day at Mode, saving me from crashing into those big glass doors going into the conference room.

I would have made a really good impression, if I had just ran right into them, like I almost did! Can you imagine? Not to mention, I started to wear a poncho that day, but Justin stopped me and made me wear my black funeral dress that day."

He smiled, "I thought you looked really cute the first day I met you, Betty. I thought you were like, twelve years old or something, but still cute.

Thanks for the mid-life crisis, remark, by the way. Now, picturing that and you looking so young for your age, I'm really feeling like some kind of pedaphyle or something."

She smiled seductively, "I suppose I could wear braids and get a school girl uniform for you, Daniel. Do the whole Britney Spears thing.

I hear some guys are into that. Personally, I always thought it would be really sexy to eat ice cream off each other."

He raised his eyebrows, "How exactly did we get onto the topic of sex fantasies, Betty? Oh, from the pedaphyle remark, huh? Well, I know I have been told I have a problem when it comes to sex."

"Really? What do you mean, like a medical problem?"

"NO! Obviously not, Betty. I don't mean that I CAN'T do stuff, more like the opposite, like I...you know, want it too much."

"Well, I guess that's one reason for the boxers thrown at my head that time and for how much the paparazzi is always chasing you.

And why you're such a chic magnet. Let's face it, girls like guys who are easily turned on. It makes us feel desired."

He laughed, "I love how you can talk about my uh...sexual habits so logically, Betty."

"I can even say boobs, Daniel. I'm NOT twelve years old, believe me."

He reddened slightly, "Cut it out, Betty."

"I'll say it again, boobs!" she giggled.

"Never say that again, please! You're so crazy." he found himself actually having a difficult time not looking in the direction of hers, as he tickled her.

He looked down at her beautiful face and felt peaceful. Betty and her family had shown him the only peace he had ever known. All he had known from his own family was hurt, betrayal, and turmoil.

Although a part of him knew that escaping right now with Betty would be running away from his problems, like he always did, and that those problems weren't going away, he also knew he needed time to sort out what HE actually wanted for himself.

Just like his brother Alex had disappeared and pretended to be dead, until he could re-emerge, into the kind of person he (she) wanted to be, Daniel saw this as his own opportunity.

He was finally done trying to please his father. He needed to find out at thirty= three years old what it was he wanted to be when he grew up. His mother had been right. It was time for him to grow up. And he knew his little angel, Betty was just the one to help him do it.


	22. Chapter 22 College Buddies

**Chapter 22: College Buddies**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!

Daniel arrived at his parents' home and adjusted his tie, nervously. He had desperately tried to persuade Betty to come with him to this lovely little 'family' gathering between him and his mother and Alexis.

She told him with that tone she got when she was trying boost his confidence, "Daniel, you know you don't need me there to hold your hand.

This is your family now. You need to face them and talk to them. Just be honest about how you feel, but listen and maybe try not to be so angry.

I know Alexis hurt you by pretending to be dead, but your mom has forgiven her, so you need to at least try, don't you think?"

He smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead, touching her cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Betty."

"Well, hopefully, you won't have to, Daniel. If you're really sure you want to come with us, I'd love it. You'll get to meet members of my family I haven't even met before."

He hesitated, hating to tell her what he had reluctantly decided. "It can't be for very long, I'm afraid. I hate that I have to leave you there to deal with your dad's immigration situation after I told you I'd help.

But, once we get him in Mexico and he can start the process of re-applying, our lawyers said it shouldn't take that long.

I'm sorry; I'd stay with you as long as you need me there, or want me, but as much as I really am done trying to please my dad, I still can't just leave him here in jail , while I go live my life. He is my father."

"Daniel, of course I understand. We're both doing this to help our dads."

"Not to mention, I won't really have a lot of money to speak of, if I quite my job at Mode and no longer have the company credit card, just my own, which I finally got re-instated.

I just have some stocks and property I'll have to sell to survive. I'm sure my mom would help me, but I'm not quite that desperate yet.

I need to hurry and decide what I do want to do and start making some money. Even after you put me on that tight budget since the Oshi deal, I have to admit I still sort of have champagne tastes.

So, I'm hoping my great Harvard degree will help me find something fairly quickly, so I don't have to completely change my lifestyle to fit a 'beer budget'. he grinned at her,

"I hear Mexico is pretty reasonable to live in. Maybe I could look for a job while we're down there." he teased.

"I don't quite see you as a reverse migrant worker in Mexico, Daniel. Are you going to ride a burro to work in your Gucci suits? I don't think so." she shook her head.

He laughed, "No. You're right. Maybe not. I'm trying to figure out a way to still get Grace Chin to represent him in spite of the way I treated her. Mom will hopefully be willing to pay for Dad's defense.

I might have to look for a different lawyer. I guess that will be one more reason to disappoint my dad."

She nodded and hugged him, "Daniel, sooner or later, you have to live your life to please yourself, not him. I think it might actually be a good thing that you're stepping away from Mode at least long enough to decide if you want to stay in editing or publishing, or anything related to it.

I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit, though. I thought you were doing a great job at Mode, in spite of Wilhelmina and now Alexis trying to undermine you. Your dad thought so, too.

He not only told me he was happy with how you've been much more responsible, but you said yourself, he was about to give you control of the company whenever he retires just before..."

"All hell broke loose?"

"Well, yeah." she admitted.

He shrugged, "I guess none of that matters now, though. I have to deal with the situation as it is, not how I wish it was or thought it was going to be."

"Good luck, Daniel. You'll be fine. Call me and let me know how it goes."

"I will." he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

After their heated encounter in his office had been so rudely interrupted by Alexis, Daniel had tried to restrain his baser instincts not to 'paw' at Betty.

He kept reminding himself how young and inexperienced she was, in spite of her wise and forthright manner.

He couldn't help compare her to Sofia. She had been all heat and teasing and manipulation. Betty could tease, too, and he found her very sexy, but unlike Sofia, Betty seemed oblivious to her own beauty and the desire she now inspired in men with her new look.

Daniel was looking forward to spending time with Betty and her family. They would be a good distraction for his own family drama for a while, and with everyone together, he knew he would have to be on his best behavior around Ignacio's little girl.

Especially, since Betty had told him her father confessed to killing her mother's first husband in an effort to protect her from being abused!

Funny, he thought, perhaps having fathers who had killed was something else they had in common. He took a deep breath now and rang the bell. His mother answered herself, and hugged him,

"Daniel, darling, I'm so glad you made it. Alexis just arrived. Let's all sit down and talk for a few minutes before we have dinner, shall we?"

He nodded, "Fine. I can't stay too long, though, Mom. If you don't mind, I might skip dinner. I sort of have a date." He bit his lip, worried that his mother seemed to smell of alcohol again. He thought she had looked so well rested (and sober) recently.

"Oh, that's wonderful! With Betty, I presume?" she smiled all the way to her eyes. Daniel was glad he had at least found a girl that his parents both approved of.

He had briefly considered bringing Sofia to meet them, after reading her stupid book, but thought better of it, when Betty had convinced him she was only out to trick him for a story. He knew that the affair had simply been his way of trying to ignore his growing affection for Betty.

Daniel could tell they both were developing feelings for one another, but he had convinced himself she was too young for him, too good for him, in short, that they would never work. Yet, the more he tried to make things work with Sofia, the more he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Betty.

Seeing her with that Henry first, and then Vincent had been driving him crazy and when Hilda had called, that had finally convinced him how much he had fallen for her.

All the things Sofia mentioned in her book that were signs of falling in love were things he knew he felt for Betty; taking his breath away, making his heart beat faster, his palms sweating. Those were things he knew she did to him. He simply started thinking of her as 'his Betty'.

People at the office called her 'Daniel's Girl' and as far as he was concerned, they were right, she was.

Over the years, Daniel had become used to finding his happiness in sexual thrills. Mainly, it had been the hunt, seducing countless woman after woman into his bed.

He realized that not until he had met this amazing young woman had he even contemplated wanting anything else for his future. But there was just something special about Betty.

From the minute he saw that smile, even with her braces that first day, and as she had been so supportive and helpful to him, in spite of his horrible treatment that first week, he knew she was different.

Her ability to forgive him, and others, her boundless energy and enthusiasm, the life and happy demeanor she brought with her wherever she went. Daniel knew, after thirty-three years of doing nothing but trifling with women's affections for his own purposes, he was mesmerized and enchanted by this little powerhouse.

Of course, she seemed so young and naive, with her little girl outfits and her bangs and glasses and braces. He knew she would grow up to belong to someone more worthy of her. Not Henry, though. Certainly not Vincent.

Daniel found the minute anyone glanced in Betty's direction, he would find out all he could about them, and usually eliminate them as being unworthy of his precious charge.

The day she had shown up, dressed to the nines, with her new smile, and her tantalizing clothing, teasing him, and so full of confidence, he felt like his heart was going to burst.

Something inside him changed for good and he knew he had to have her for himself. She seemed to maybe want him, too.

She WAS grown up, after all. She wasn't just a little girl for him to protect. She was a woman. A woman he had to have.

He had tried to make things 'just business' since then and they did manage to develop a very close bond as 'strictly friends', but there was always this little undercurrent. A spark when they touched, lingering looks, heat when they got too close.

After a very uncomfortable talk with his mom and Alexis, Daniel told them as far as he was concerned, Alexis could do what she wanted at Mode. "I would suggest you get Willi back.

We both know and so does she, she's the only one who can do the job effectively, much as I hate to be the one to admit it."

"That's big of you, Daniel." Alexis conceeded.

He handed her a folded piece of paper. "Here. That's my letter-from-the editor. Run it if you want. I don't really care. It's your magazine, now, SIS. Oh, and for the record. I don't hate you.

I only wish you would have come to me and told me how you felt. I would have maybe had a hard time with it at first, but I'd like to think I would have come around eventually, if you would have given me half a chance. No matter what you think of me, Alex, I'm NOT Dad. Sorry, AlexIS.

Mom, Dad wants us to get Grace Chin to represent him. I'm going to try before I leave. But, I don't know if she'll work for me. Is it okay with you?" She nodded, but seemed oddly silent about her husband's defense. "Okay, well, Betty's waiting for me. It's our first date tonight.

I got us a table at Masa's. Afer tomorrow, I'm going to be out of town for a week at least. I'll call you when I get back. Love you...guys." he kissed his mom on the cheek and hesitated, then gave Alexis a quick hug and left.

As he was getting changed at his loft, he heard a knock and a lovely Asian woman in her early thirties stood at his door. "Can I help you?" he knew he hadn't made any dates recently. He had no idea who she was.

"I'm Grace Chin. You said your father needs me?"

"Oh, Grace? Wow! I didn't recognize you. You look different!" he couldn't believe how gorgeous she was now.

She pretended not to remember Daniel at first, but he soon found out, she wanted revenge. After making him feel like the heel he had been to her for standing her up, she gave him a list of the names and phone numbers of the women she knew of in college that he had used and left.

At first, he was actually calling the women, but finally, he started just calling Becks, pretending he was calling them. He texted Betty and pushed back their reservation an hour already, and he didn't really want to miss their first real date.

But he was more than willing to do what it took to get this woman to represent Bradford. Before he realized what was going on, she turned him around, and sat on his lap, "Your remorse is kind of a turn on, Daniel."

He swallowed hard, "Thanks! But...Grace, listen. I have a girlfriend. Um...would you still be willing to..." He heard a knock on his door. He looked up at her, "Excuse me, sorry. Can I get up, please?" She got off him, looking slightly annoyed.

"Betty! You're here!" CRAP! He pulled her out into the hallway and tried to really quickly explain why Grace was there and what had just occured. Leaving out the part about her sitting on his lap and telling him she was turned on, of course.

"You're good at talking people into stuff. I have to tell you, honestly, I think she kind of wants revenge sex or something. She seemed like she might be coming onto me. I'm really glad you're here. I swear, I TOLD her I had a girlfriend."

She took a breath and looked into his panic-stricken face. Betty could tell when Daniel was lying. He seemed geniunely upset and worried, now. She believed him.

When he postponed their date, she had been afraid things went badly with his mother and Alexis and he was drinking, prompting her to come check on him.

They turned around to see Becks, getting off the elevator, holding a bottle of scotch. "Hey, I figured whatever weird fake apology calls you were making sounded like it could use a party. Add Becks and booze, and instant party!"

Betty and Daniel's eyes both lit up. "Becks! So glad to see you!"


	23. Chapter 23 Kissing Contest

**Chapter 23: Kissing Contest**

Disclaimer: Don't own/don't sue, por favor!

Daniel and Betty slid into the waiting town car downstairs, and headed off to finally enjoy their first actual date. Betty laughed, "I think you need to put Becks on your payroll or something as your 'clean-up man', Daniel! Didn't he entertain Sofia for you the other night, too?"

"He didn't really mind. In fact, he told me he got some pretty interesting pictures of him and Sofia that I could always use against her if she tried to cause me any more trouble."

"Let me get this straight, though, Daniel. She came there for you, but he managed to get her to go off with him and….sleep with him, just that fast? Wow, is he really THAT charming or is she just that, well…" she looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "you know."

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean, and yes to both, I guess. Becks can be pretty charming when he wants to be. He snaked me quite a bit in our wild and crazy days. It just depended on the girl, you know, if she liked the more casual, daring type, she went for Becks.

If she liked smooth and sophisticated, a little more GQ, I might get…uh lucky." He really didn't want to sound like he was bragging to Betty about his past sexual exploits. Especially, since he knew she had only been with Walter.

Betty nodded, not saying anything.

As much as he was dreading this subject, he felt they needed to deal with it,

"Betty, I know you haven't had a lot of experience, and I just want you to know, I don't expect you to jump into bed with me just because we started dating, okay?

I don't want to be that guy anymore. I care about you and I want to get to know you and really see where this relationship goes, without complicating things right away.

So…relax. I'll be on my best behavior, I promise. I think it's good that we'll be with your family for a while, that way I won't get too carried away, with them all as chaperones. I'm sorry about before in my office. I just…well, you are kind of hard to resist, sweetie."

She blushed, "Thank you, Daniel. You can be pretty 'charming' yourself; I guess maybe it's a good thing Alexis came in when she did." He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, staring at them.

"Oh yeah? You mean, you would have let things go that far if she hadn't interrupted us? I think I hate her even more, now." He teased.

She smiled, "You'll never know."

"Never? You know what they say, Betty. Never say never."

"I just…well, you kind of scare me, Daniel."

"Scare you? Why?"

"I mean, you're so…well, you make me kind of breathless, when you look at me sometimes. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack or something." He smiled, thinking how adorably honest she was.

"I've never really felt this way about anyone before. I don't like feeling like you have such control over my emotions, but I can't help it."

"I know."

"Well, don't get a big head or anything." She sounded annoyed at his seemingly smug reply.

He explained, "No, I meant, I know, because I feel the same way, Betty. I may have lots of experience with casual sex, but I don't know any more about real love than you do. I haven't really fallen in love before. I always fought against it.

I never wanted to lose that feeling of control. But with you, I can't help it. I'm a grown man. I'm so much older than you. Yet, you have complete control over me, too.

I'm just as vulnerable to you as you are to me. So, I guess in that sense, you scare me, too." He leaned down to brush her hair behind her ear and kiss her softly.

As she deepened the kiss, he cradled her face in his hand.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, they enjoyed a quiet dinner, talking mostly about their families, but carefully avoiding the subject of Mode.

Finally, she felt she had to ask, "Have you told your father you're leaving Mode yet, Daniel?"

He concentrated on his food. "I don't really see the need to tell him anything. He's in jail. What's he going to do, Betty, cut me off? That was always his biggest threat before when he wanted to exercise control over me.

He's not in power anymore. I'm leaving. I may come back, I may not. I just know I'm not going to feed into Alexis and Wilhelmina's power play, using me as their little pawn.

I half way think if they don't have me to fight against, they might turn on each other and I could wait them out, then swoop in and take back control. You never know. Or I might find I don't miss all the drama."

Betty knew better than to argue with him about this. She _was_ concerned he was running away from his problems, however.

They fought over the last piece of cheese cake. Daniel grinned at her, "You take it. I'm a gentleman."

"All evidence to the contrary." She couldn't resist. Especially since he currently had his hand on her leg under the table.

He smirked, "Oops. How did that get there? Sorry, force of habit. Stupid hand has a mind of its own, I'm afraid. I'm trying…cut me some slack okay? I'm a creature of habit, like most guys.

This is not going to be easy for me. Is there some kind of patch for sex like they have for nicotine, I wonder?" he took her hand across the table.

She moved his wandering hand up onto the table, as well. "Well, other than keeping both hands where I can see them, maybe we can think of some way to compromise."

He raised his eyebrows. "This I gotta hear. What did you have in mind?" He took both her hands in his.

"I don't know, exactly. I guess if you don't mind, we can just take things slow, that's all. Set some limits, so we don't let things get out of hand. I know it's not much for you, but are you okay with just kissing for now?"

He looked at her face. She was so sweet. He ran his fingers down her arm, "Sure. For now. I can be patient, for you, Betty. You're definitely worth waiting for.

But, just so you know…" he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "I can be VERY charming when **I** want to be, too. And I DO want you. So, whenever you're ready, just say the word, okay?"

She had just taken a bite of the cheesecake and the tingles the sound of his voice caused down her spine almost made her choke. She nodded, trying to smile, weakly. She managed, "Okay, Daniel."

He dropped her off in Queens, taking her up to the doorway. He didn't dare take her back to his loft, not trusting himself to behave. He smiled, "I feel like a teenager, taking you up to your door, just hoping for a goodnight kiss."

She nodded, "I'm sorry, Daniel. Not exactly your speed, I know. I just hope you don't get bored with me, before I'm…ready. I know you're used to well…going a lot faster."

He shrugged, stroking her cheek, "Maybe, Betty. But, like I said, you're absolutely worth the wait. I might need to take up knitting or karate or something but…don't worry. I'll survive.

I've had enough sex to last a lifetime in some respects, so I guess it's only fair that when I finally meet the girl of my dreams, she puts the brakes on.

I figure, I've probably got it coming to me. I should tell Grace Chin what's going on with us; maybe it would make her actually feel sorry enough to forgive me on my past bad behavior with women."

Daniel leaned in and kissed her sweetly, but somewhat quickly at first. He started to pull away, but she found she couldn't let him go just like that. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a very long, deep kiss, and running her hands through his hair.

Daniel's hands slid around her waist, pulling her even closer. When they had both become breathless, he gently pushed her away, "Wow! Uh, that was…really nice, Betty. I think I'd better leave, and go take a very long, cold shower, now.

But, thanks for a great first date. I'll see you at Mode tomorrow.

I just need to clear a few things out of my office before our plane leaves tomorrow night." He leaned down and kissed her briefly on the cheek. "Good night, sweetie."

"Good night, Daniel. I had a good time, too. I'll see you tomorrow."

The next day, as Betty was gathering a few of her things from her office before leaving for her trip, she overheard Amanda say to an older woman that she didn't recognize,

"There's Marc's new little sweetie, now. Hey, Betty!" she ran over to Betty and hugged her, excitedly, barely stifling a laugh, as Marc's eyes grew wide.

He gave Amanda a look that could kill, but suddenly grabbed Betty and gave her a rather passionate kiss, just as Daniel was coming out of his office, holding a small box of personal items.

He furrowed his brows, "MARC! What the hell?" He almost dropped the box he was holding, and Amanda was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.

When he finally released her, Betty looked at Marc like he was insane, "Marc? What was THAT for?"

He grabbed her hand, swinging it back and forth. "Mom, I want you to meet my new girlfriend, Betty Suarez. Betty, honey, this is my mom, Jean Weiner.

I told her about Amanda and I breaking up because of her drug problems, and AMANDA just _outed_ you as my new girlfriend, sorry!" his eyes begged silently for Betty's understanding.

She laughed, shocked that anyone, especially Marc's own mother could not know immediately that he was gay, but slid her arm around Marc's waist, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Yep, Mrs. Weiner? She stifled a chuckle at the revelation of his real last name. She felt sudden compassion for Marc knowing that his school days were likely filled with teasing, just as hers had been. Gay and with the last name wiener? Poor Marc! "Marc-ie and I just started dating last month. He's a real sweetie. I'm sure going to miss him these next two weeks when I'm in Mexico.

I would have loved to get to know you better, Mrs. Weiner. Your little Marc talks about you and your uh…cats all the time!" she noticed the woman had some kind of strange looking creature she assumed was a hairless cat in the cage with her.

"Yes, well, this is Lady Buttons of Camelot" the woman said, surprisingly with a straight face. "She used to be Princess, but she did poorly in the show, so I've stripped her of her title, I'm afraid."

After a very uncomfortable silence, Amanda handed Betty her cell phone that she had left on the desk. "Betty, it was your papi. He said you and your boyfriend should come to lunch before you leave for Me-hee-co, so he can meet your future mother-in-law." She barely stifled a giggle at Betty's expression.

"What?" Now Daniel couldn't keep from making his presence known. Enough was enough. "I'm sorry, Marc, but I'm afraid Betty needs to have time to prepare for her business trip to Mexico and she simply won't have time to entertain your mother. I have quite a few errands for her before she leaves."

"Oh, yes, uh…Mrs. Weiner, I'm sorry. This is my boss, Daniel Meade. He's right, I'm afraid. We'll have to re-schedule our family meeting for when I get back perhaps? It's been wonderful to meet you and –Lady Buttons of Camelot though." She shook the woman's hand.

Marc looked disappointed as Betty and Daniel both left. She overheard the woman comment to Amanda, "Very strange, she's going on a  
"business trip" to Mexico with her boss? What fashions are in Mexico, anyway? Ponchos?

Marc, I think you really need to be more careful about your choice of women. First, you get involved with a drug addict, then you fall for some office floozy who clearly is having an affair with her boss."

As Daniel put his hand on Betty's back and led her down the hall, he whispered, "I guess we're not too subtle, huh? That woman can't tell Marc is gay, yet she can still put us together! So, by the way, is Marc a better kisser than me?" he smiled.

She grinned, shrugging, "No. But I've got to admit, he wasn't bad! It looks like you've got some serious competition, Mr. Meade!"

As the Suarez family boarded the plane, Justin was complaining about the timing of their trip. "Of course, just when I'm the understudy for Tony. If I miss out on playing the lead!" Hilda shushed him.

Once they were comfortably seated, she kept ordering more champagne. "Keep it coming, sistah!" she told the flight attendant, holding out her glass.

Betty was excited, "I can't believe we're flying first class, Daniel. This is amazing! Thank you." She leaned against his shoulder, and he put his arm around her.

"Well, I normally would have used the company's private jet, but since I'm no longer technically an employee, I didn't think it would be Kosher."

"Yes, but you're still part _owner_ of the company, Daniel." Justin leaned forward.

"Justin!" Betty was embarrassed that her nephew would say such a thing. "I'm sorry, Daniel. He doesn't think sometimes."

"It's fine, Betty." He looked back at Justin, "Yeah. I guess you're right, buddy. I just am not as lucky as you to have such a close family. Mine is more every man or woman for himself. You're really lucky to have your mom and grandpa and aunt who all love you so much." He wondered if he should mention Santos. "And your dad, too, of course."

"Yeah, Dad is coming around, I guess. Mom is pretty excited they're finally getting married. She's driving me crazy though with all the wedding stuff." He leaned forward and whispered to Daniel between the seats, making sure his mother had her headphones on and couldn't hear him,

"She's great, but…she doesn't ALWAYS have the best taste. Hers is almost as interesting as Aunt Betty's used to be, only more uh…well, sexy, I guess."

He had recently gotten into a fight with another student, defending his mother's style. He loved her, and never wanted to make her feel bad, but kids could be cruel.

Daniel nodded, "Well, it's definitely a good thing you are here to keep these ladies on track with their style, I'd say Justin. You are going to make a great fashion icon someday." He turned back around as Justin grinned.


	24. Chapter 24 You Can't Run Away from Your

**Chapter 24 You Can't Run Away from Yourself**

Bradford Meade was looking at Claire lovingly, "I told you, I'd take care of this, Claire. Don't do anything foolish. Grace Chin said all they have is circumstancial evidence. Just hang on. Claire, darling, you need to try to keep from drinking while I'm in here."

"You're in there because of me, Bradford. I can't let you do this. I'm going to turn myself in." she turned to leave.

He stood up and yelled after her, "Claire, stop it! I told you not to do that!" She turned to blow him a tearfilled kiss.

Wilhelmina was in her element, back at Mode. She spun in her chair as Alexis came in, smiling, "It's good to have you back where you belong, Willi. Mode wasn't the same without you."

Willi stood up and frowned at her, "Why you took so long to bring me back, I don't quite understand. I thought we had an agreement, Alexis.

We've been planning this takeover for months, then you just let your mommie dearest talk you into some sort of shared craziness between you and Daniel?

You were an editor, he was an editor, everyone in the room was an editor except me!" "And me!" Marc piped up, then quickly left the room when she shot him a withering glance.

"Well, thank God you came to your senses and he had the good sense to tuck his balls between his legs and run off to Mexico with his little burrito. What is he going to do now, anyway?

Oh, who are we kidding, I don't care in the slightest. Now, let's get started making Mode into what it was meant to be!"

Alexis bit her lip, mumbling to herself under her breath, "It was his idea to bring you back, actually." Outoud, she said, "Fine, Wilhelmina. Consider Mode yours, but I do have one concession I expect of you.

Run Daniel's letter from the editor. I looked at it and it's good. I think it'll get us some good PR." She handed the letter to Willi, who shot up an eyebrow, then smoothed it down with her hand, looking in the mirror. "Dammit! Marc! Bring the botox, will you? Can you see those lines?"

"No, of course not, Willi. You're as dead on the outside as you are on the inside."

Hilda was trying on very colorful wedding dresses from her cousin while Betty and Justin looked on in horror. Justin made a gagging motion to Betty and his mother, and mouthed silently, "HIDEOUS!" who both nodded, then smiled fake smiles to their cousin, Hilda said, "Do you have anything with a few LESS different colors?.

"Maybe, but this is a wedding, not a funeral!"

Daniel was sitting next to Ignacio Suarez and some of Betty's male relatives in the living room of her Aunt Mita, watching the movie, 'Iron Man' in Spanish.

He leaned over to Mr. Suarez and said, pointing to the movie, "I always liked the Tony Stark character. I sort of identified with the flawed, rich guy thing. Downey is pretty funny, too."

In a case of extremely bad timing, just then, a scene where Tony Stark is wrestling in bed with a leggy blonde appeared. Ignacio raised one eyebrow and looked at Daniel, "Just don't continue to identify with that kind of character _too_ much, Daniel!

Like you said, his character _is_ pretty flawed. Plus, think of me as Pepper Pots' father. I like you, but I LOVE my daughter."

Daniel gulped and swalled a sip of the beer he was drinking, "Understood, Mr. Suarez." Anxious to change the subject from that of his womanizing past, Daniel asked the elder man,

"So, you're appointment at the counselet is today, right? They should let you know how long the process is going to take. I hope it goes smoothly for you, sir."

He patted Daniel's shoulder, "I do appreciate all you've done to help me, Daniel. I know this is something I should have taken care of years ago.

I guess I just let things with my wife's illness and Hilda having Justin when she was so young sort of sidetrack me. Being a father, especially a single one is very tricky sometimes. And with two girls, dios mio!"

Daniel sipped his beer quietly, in admiration of all Betty's father must have gone through with his wife's illness and early demise and in raising his family alone. "I really admire you, Mr. Suarez.

It can't have been easy. I'm sure losing someone you love like that must have really broken your heart. But, like you said, with two girls to raise, you didn't really have time to grieve. You did a great job with Hilda and Betty, though."

Ignacio raised his bottle to take a sip, eyeing Daniel carefully, "Speaking of broken hearts. What happened with that Reyes woman Betty said you were seeing pretty regularly? Did she break yours?"

Daniel figured Betty's dad must think she was just a 'rebound' from Sofia.

"I thought so, for a while, but now I think I was just more disappointed because I was afraid that was my only chance to have a family.

Really, that was the big attraction with her, more than anything. What she said she wanted, kids, a house, a happy family. Like yours.

I was feeling my 'biological clock' or whatever they call it for guys. I started to see that I didn't want to be running around chasing models forever, you know?"

A look of concern came over Ignacio's face, "I feel I should warn you, Daniel. If you think Betty is ready to settle down and start popping out babies, you're going to be disappointed, I'm afraid.

She is very career-driven, that one. She will make a great mother, someday, I'm sure. But she is nowhere near ready for that now. She has plenty of time. I think she is determined even more because of Hilda's early pregnancy not to let that happen to her."

Daniel nodded, "I can certainly understand that. I don't see Betty as ready for uh...the marraige and kids thing anytime soon, either.

I guess I said that wrong about what I was looking for. Even though I'm not nearly as young as Betty, I'd like to think I still have plenty of time for that, too.

I really care about your daughter, sir. I promise I have no intention of hurting her or using her in any way. I just am happy to have her in my life. She's really changed me just by knowing her. I think I WAS a lot like Stark, on sort of a path of self-destructive behavior.

But since I met Betty, she's opened my eyes to a whole different kind of life. I'm so grateful to be included in hers, in yours. I feel in lots of ways, I was the one who lived an under-priveleged life.

Even though I had lots of material things growing up, I missed out on having what you guys have, love and caring for one another. In the end, that's what's really important.

Right now, my family is such a mess. I don't have a clue how to help them. I got a lawyer for my father that he wanted. I always TRY to do what I think he expects of me, but it never seems to be enough.

Even now, with him in jail, I know my leaving the company is going to be a disappointment to him. I'm pretty sure my mom has started drinking again, too. I don't have a clue how to relate to my new 'sister'.

It's all such a disaster! It's good to see how a real family gets along." As he said that, several of Betty's cousins were arguing loudly. He laughed,

"Or even fights. I think having a disagreement is way better than all the lies, secrets, and backstabbing that is in my family." As if on cue, Betty appeared, looking extremely upset.

"Papi! Aunt Mirta just said that mami's mother is still alive? Why did you lie to us? She's the only person that can give us some connection to mami and you told us she was dead? I can't believe you!"

Ignacio looked at a somewhat shocked Daniel, and leaned over to whisper hoarsely, "See, Daniel. Everyone has secrets. No family's perfect. We all have to deal with the one we've got." He squared off to face his obviously furious youngest daughter.

"Mijah, it's what your mami wanted. Her mother didn't accept me, because I was only a cook. She would rather have had your mother stay with a man who beat her.

She told Rosa that if she left with me, she was dead to her. She just cut your mother off. I was only respecting your mother's wishes. The woman hates me."

Daniel contemplated Ignacio's words. He recalled Alexis mentioning that their father had said if she went ahead with her surgery, she was 'dead to him' as well. Strange, he had thought coming to Mexico with Betty would distract him from his own family's bizzare problems.

It seemed, instead that he was actually finding parallels between their two widely different families he never expected to see.

After Betty had calmed down, her father told her and Hilda where their grandmother lived. He went to get dressed for his appointment. He turned to Daniel, "Would you mind taking Betty to meet her abuela, Daniel? I have to go to my meeting.

I know this is important to her. I don't necessarily agree with her, but she's going to need some support. The woman may reject her and Hilda. I thought I was protecting them. But, I guess sometimes there comes a point where you have to let your children make their own decisions and deal with the consequences."

Daniel patted Ignacio on the back, "Go to your meeting, Mr. Suarez. I'll take Betty to see her grandma. Good luck, sir."

"Please, Daniel. Call me, Ignacio. Thank you. Betty needs you, son. I guess I can't always be there for her. I'm glad you're here for her."

After Ignacio left with his sister to go to his immigration appointment, Daniel, Hilda, Justin, and Betty discussed transportation. "There's no cab service here?" Daniel seemed at a loss. "Is there a car rental?"

"There is, but it's really far from here." Hilda said, biting her nails. Justin pulled her hand out of her mouth,

"MOM, please! You're wedding is too close. You only have a month left. Let's not get crazy."

Daniel looked at Betty,"I hope you weren't really serious about the burro thing. How far is this place?"

Betty had a satisfied look as she held up a bus schedule, "There is a bus that goes there. Come on!"

"A bus?" Daniel looked a little concerned. He wasn't used to public transportation.

Once they got on board, Betty looked at him in his jeans and nice, but casual tee shirt, "At least you're not wearing Gucci, Daniel."

He rolled his eyes, "Hey, I can adapt, Betty. Look who's talking. You were as much a fish out of water at Mode when you first started there, and look at you now. Less than six months on the job and you're already a confidant, accomplished editor.

I think I can handle riding on a bus. Although, I admit, it is definitely a lot less of a smooth ride than a town car!" They were getting jostled around.

Hilda was eating something out of tin foil. Betty turned up her nose, "Ew, what is that?"

"A quesadilla. That guy was selling them back there."

Daniel and Betty exchanged horrified glances, "I don't think anything with cheese should be served on a bus, HIlda. You need to try and calm down. We'll find you a dress."

"How? By going and meeting someone who clearly doesn't want to meet us? I'd rather spend what little time I have here before we have to go back and I run out of time going to an outlet mall than going to have some mean old woman who doesn't want anything to do with me just hurt my feelings!"

Surprisingly, once they met Yolanda Salizar, Rosa's mother, she mistook Betty for her daughter and Daniel for a young Ignacio.

She hugged both of them and said how wrong she had been to keep them apart. Hilda translated for Daniel (and Betty),

"She said you were right to go with your love. She was wrong to keep you apart from Ignacio and when you find love, it is worth fighting for, no matter what your family or anybody else tells you. She says she is so glad you came so she can beg your..."

Betty cut in, "Yeah, I got it, Hilda. My forgiveness. Thanks."

Hilda stood aside, feeling left out at first. Yolanda surprised her nurse by hastening into her bedroom and re-appearing with a wedding dress, and smiling. Hilda's eyes lit up. "Oh my God!" It's beautiful!"

Betty took the dress to her sister, smiling. "This is your sign, HIlda. Your wedding is going to go off without a hitch!" Hilda grabbed the dress and twirled around with it. "Oh, this _is_ a sign! I can't wait for Santos and me to finally be married!"

As they started to leave, Yolanda grabbed Daniel's arm and told him, "Ignacio, me equivoqué. Que van de la mano. Ser paciente con el amor. El verdadero amor se hace esperar."

He smiled and patted her hand, looking at Hilda in confusion, "What did she say? I know she thinks Betty's your mom, I heard her call her Rosa and she obviously thinks I'm your dad. But I have no idea what she just said to me, Hilda."

Hilda thought a minute, and asked the nurse something in Spanish, then nodded, "She said she was wrong. You two belong together. Then she said be patient with love. True love is worth waiting for."

When they had all been back at Ignacio's sister, Mirta's for a while, watching Justin perform songs from the school production of West Side Story he was in, he took a bow on finishing a rousing rendition of "I Just Met a Girl Named Maria". Everyone clapped, then went back to talking amongst themselves. Justin walked over to Daniel and Betty.

"Hey, you two. Can you help me with something?"

Betty nodded, "Sure, Justin, what is it?"

"Yeah, what's up, buddy? You were great, by the way! You are an excellent dancer and you have a great voice. You should be on broadway!"

He looked down, sheepishly, "Well, if Joey Calano gets sick, I might actually have a shot at really playing Tony and that means I have a kissing scene with Maria. I've never kissed a girl before. I just was wondering. They were like supposedly you know, Romeo and Juliet or whatever.

There's this scene where Tony and Maria kiss for the first time and it looks great in the movie, but...I can't like really see first hand what it looks like, you know?

I know it's a lot to ask, but would you be willing to sort of show me in person, like act it out, so I can see what to do?

I don't want to look like a total dork if I get my shot. I heard there's a flu bug going around Joey's neighborhood, so I really want to be prepared, just in case."

Daniel pursed his lips together and grinned, almost blushing, "What, you want us to like say the lines and act out the kissing scene for you, Justin. I don't know...I'm not much of an actor."

Betty turned beet red. "Me, either, Justin. Why don't you just keep rewinding the movie or something."

Justin pulled them out to the back yard, "Now, look guys, there's nobody else around, so you don't have to be embarrassed.

I just need to see what it looks like, you know...the passion or heat or chemistry stuff. I don't know how to fake that, really.

You can't tell me you guys haven't kissed before. So, just do whatever you do, like look at each other all googly-eyed before you kiss.

That's the part, where I'm unclear as to what to do. Don't worry, I'm a quick study, I won't ask you to do it a bunch of times or anything. I just..."

Daniel smiled, and winked at Betty, walking closer to her, "Hey, Betty. We can do this. For Justin. He just needs us to be his live actors. It's fine. No lines, just kissing, so...he's right, we can do that much.

We wouldn't want to hold back such a talented young man from reaching his dreams, now would we?" he invaded her space, and took both of her hands up, one at a time, palms together, then locked eyes with her.

Betty's heart started racing, but she found she couldn't resist his penetrating gaze. She swallowed hard and licked her lips, then bit her lower one, looking at him shyly. That move caught his attention.

His eyes followed the motion of her tongue over her lip, and he moved even closer, now lowering his head to meet hers, and slowly, he dropped her hands, and put his hands up to her face, holding it gently and took a deep breath in anticipation.

To Betty, time seemed to stand still. She became completely oblivious to Justin's presence. She was so transfixed by Daniel's eyes on hers, she felt as if she could have just as well been on a stage herself and she wouldn't have noticed anyone else in the room. She saw Daniel's eyes close just as she felt his breath on her face.

He kissed her briefly, but just as she was starting to wrap her arms around his back, and give into the kiss completely, he stepped away, leaving her breathless and somewhat frustrated, "What?..."

He grinned boyishly, and turned to Justin, "Does that help, Justin?"

Justin's eyes were wide open, "Uh, yeah! Got it! Thanks, guys!" he discreetly left the room, shaking his head. "Whoa!"

Betty looked at him, "Daniel! What was that?"

He shrugged, "I believe it was a kiss, Betty. I thought we needed to keep it pretty PG, with Justin there, taking notes or whatever. I don't want to get in trouble with your sister or your dad for corrupting a minor or anything."

She nodded, still obviously shaken by the kiss, "You okay?" he looked at her knowingly, enjoying the fact that he had gotten to her.

She nodded, "Fine, thanks, how about you?" she glanced at him.

"I'm good. Please don't tell me you expect me to sing, 'I just kissed a girl named Betty, though, cause singing is not really my strong point."

She laughed, "I know, I've heard you sing, remember, 'Sonny'?"

"Okay, Betty, you're no Cher, either."

Ignacio came out, looking downcast. "Papi, what's wrong?"

"I need to stay here longer than I expected, mijah. I think you are going to have to go back without me, I'm afraid."

After much discussion and argument, it was decided that Ignacio would stay with his sister until he had sorted out his immigration issues, while the rest of them would leave in a few days.

Daniel had spoken with his family's lawyers and re-assured them it should not take longer than a month, so Ignacio should be able to re-join his family in New York in plenty of time for his daughter's wedding.

As Betty and Hilda were talking to their father, Daniel walked in, looking ashen. Betty walked over to him, "Daniel, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

He looked down in disbelief at his phone. "Well, I just got good news and bad news. The good news is, they just released my dad. He's a free man."

"Daniel, that's wonderful news! But, what's the bad news, then?"

"My mom just confessed to Fey's murder."

"What! Your mother? Daniel! Didn't you say she made up some really weird things when she had been drinking? I'm sure the stress of having your father behind bars just had her so upset, she didn't know what she was saying."

"Actually, Betty. That was Grace. She said that several witnesses put Mom's blue Astin Martin at the site of Fey's car when it crashed and burned. Evidently, she followed it for 18 miles, watched it, then just drove away."

"Dios Mio!"

_Disclaimer: Almost forgot, please don't sue!_

A/N _Ch 25 wraps up Season 1, and goes into Season 2 in this A/U Suarez land. The next three seasons will be very condensed. This story will probably only have another five or six chapters. I warn you, there will be drama in many of the upcoming chapters, but unlike Tony & Maria, Romeo & Juliet (Or Hilda & Santos, sadly), Daniel will follow Yolanda's advice._


	25. Chapter 25 Switching Places

**Chapter 25: Switching Places**_  
_

_Disclaimer: Same as always-not my characters, so don't sue!_

**Betty was making dinner for Daniel. (Or at least, trying to). She was talking to her father in Mexico, trying to figure out how he could be such a great cook and she and Hilda...well definitely weren't!**

**"Papi, at this point, I think shoe leather would be an improvement! I wish you were here! I really miss you." She took the burnt roast out of the oven with her oven mitt and threw it on top of the stove, sighing.**

**"The most important thing is on top of the refrigerator, mijah. The numbers to all the local take out places. Good luck with your dinner tonight."**

**"Thanks, papi, I love you. We all really miss you and can't wait till you come back home"**

**"I love you, too, Betty. Te quero!"**

**As she hung up the phone, Betty heard the doorbell and went to see Daniel, standing at the door, holding a dozen broken Gerber daisies.**

**"Hey, Betty. Uh, I got these for you, but that strange neighbor of yours kept yelling at me and saying really mean things about you, so I told her to cut it out and she sort of grabbed at them. Who WAS that, anyway?"**

**Betty rolled her eyes, "Gina Gambaro. She hates Hilda, and she's very jealous that she's marrying Santos. Mainly just because she wanted to get married first.**

**Oh, and she is mad at me, because Walter evidently dumped her to take up stalking me for a while and she doesn't get her discount from Prop-Buy anymore."**

**"SHE'S the one he dumped you for? Man, does he have bad taste! She's sort of...well, cheap and bitchy springs to mind."**

**She nodded, taking the remnants of his flowers, finding a few that were still salvageable and putting them in a vase.**

**"There. It just means I don't quite have a dozen, but they're still very pretty. Thanks, Daniel."**

**He was looking at her dishevelled hair and messy clothes, and noticing the mess in the kitchen. "So, I take it we are eating out, after all, Chef Betty?" he teased.**

**She hit his arm, "Okay, so maybe I'm not quite the culinary genius my papi is, but we can't all be perfect. I'm good at other things."**

**"I'm sure you are, Betty. Care to demonstrate that theory, yet?" he leaned down for a kiss, running his index finger lightly up and down her bare arm. She looked up at him,**

**"We'll see, Daniel. Actually, Santos and Hilda are at his place and Justin has a dress rehearsal tonight. So, we are alone."**

**"Betty, are you coming on to me?" he smiled, raising his eyebrows suggestively.**

**"I just said, we'll see, Daniel. First, let's decide what we want to do about dinner."**

**He leaned down and kissed her passionately, pulling her off her feet slightly. When he released her and set her back down, he held her inches from his face,**

**"See, now that you told me we have the place to ourselves, you totally took away my appetite for food, Betty. Priorities, here. Are you actually saying...what I THINK you're saying?"**

**She smiled shyly up at him, "Well...I guess I could say 'the word'. Isn't that what you told me?"**

**"Really? You're sure, Betty? Okay. Great! I mean, wow, that's, that's really awesome."**

**Betty giggled, "Daniel, you sound like you're some teenage boy who's never been with a girl before instead of mister lethario."**

**He put his head against hers, and took her hands in his, "Well, I can't help it, Betty.**

**You bring out the kid in me, I guess. I'm really glad you're feeling more comfortable with us. This has been the worst day ever, with my family and stuff.**

**I have just been clinging to the thought of seeing you tonight to make it through.**

**But now, knowing you actually feel like you're ready to take that next step with me is so great. It makes me forget about anything else. I just want to be with you."**

**She looked up at him, "I feel the same way, Daniel. I want to be with you, too."**

**He scooped her up and started up the stairs. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, giggling.**

**"Don't hurt yourself, Daniel. I'm a lot heavier than the models you're used to."**

**"Yeah, your curves are what make you so sexy, Betty. Stop putting yourself down. You know I love you." He stopped on the stairs, kissing her.**

**She smiled, "I think that's the first time you've actually said that to me...in English. Te amo is nice, too. But I like the whole three little words thing."**

**"Thanks, Betty. But are you going to leave me hanging? Or are you saying you go to bed with just any guy, whether you love him or not? I didn't think you were that kind of girl."he teased.**

**She rolled her eyes, "Well that was a pathetic hint if I ever heard one. You know you're lucky I do love you, Daniel. Or you would have just talked yourself out of my bed there."**

**He chuckled, "You're so romantic, Betty."**

**"You know you love it."**

**"Like I said, I love YOU."**

**He had just managed to get her door open, when the buzzer rang. He put her down so she could go downstairs and answer it She couldn't believe her eyes, "Sofia? What are YOU doing here?"**

**The beautiful woman didn't even attempt small talk with Betty, "I'm pregnant. I just thought Daniel might want to know. Since he IS the father. Sorry if I interrupted your little date, Betty."**

**She looked as Daniel had come running back down the stairs.**

**"I knew there was something going on between you two, no matter what Daniel said about you just being a nice piece of a..."**

**"GET OUT!" Daniel yelled and slammed the door in her face.**

**Betty looked shocked, but grabbed his arm, "Daniel. She could be telling the truth. I mean, you did date her. She could really be pregnant."**

**"Yeah, but she's obviously been with other guys besides me, Betty. Even if she is actually pregnant, that doesn't mean it's mine. I used protection."**

**"You know that isn't a hundred percent, though, Daniel. You need to make her take a paternity test."**

**"Yeah, but I don't think you can do those right away, can you? I'm not going to have this hanging over my head until we get the results back from some stupid test. Dammit!**

**I can't believe that crazy bitch came here and ruined our first night together!"**

**He sat down on one of the stairs, his head resting on his fists.**

**Betty sat down next to him, putting her arm around him, "Daniel. I know this is terrible, but this isn't all that's bothering you.**

**What were you so upset about before? You said something about your family? Is there a problem getting a new lawyer for your mother?**

**I was wanting to go see her. How is she holding up? How is your dad taking it"**

**"Oh my mom's a wreck, Betty. She's totally given up even talking about fighting. My dad's just fine, as usual. He's evidently back to his old ways, cheating on her again!**

**Only now he's completely gone off his rocker. He's divorcing my mom after thirty-eight years of marraige."**

**"What? I don't uderstand. Why would he divorce her now? She just turned herself in to get him out of jail."**

**"Sure, but he says he thinks she actually did it when she was drunk and that's not the worst part, Betty. You'll never guess the bitch he's now engaged to!"**

**"Engaged? He's already engaged? In less than a month? That's crazy!"**

**"I know! Well, evidently Wilhelmina works fast. She's somehow convinced my dad that mom found out she was seeing my dad and had her beat up or something.**

**So now Dad sent my mom divorce papers in jail! What an asshole! Just when I thought things were getting better between him and me he goes and pulls this crap on Mom! Plus, evidently, Alexis can do no wrong, now."**

**Betty was getting more upset by the minute."Daniel. I was supposed to go back to work tomorrow.**

**Do you think he even wants me to start up MYW now? Or is he going to fire me? I'm out of vacation time. I can't afford to be unemployed right now."**

**She put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Daniel. I shouldn't be worried about myself when you have so much family drama going on with your parents and your sister right now."**

**He shrugged, "Huh, sister? I don't know what I've got in the way of a family, Betty. My mom is the only one I trust, and she's in jail for killing Dad's mistress. I've got to try and get back Mode, I guess.**

**I can't afford to be without a job. I have to find a good lawyer and get her out of jail. She won't tell me what really happened.**

**She just insists she killed Fey and she'd do it again. It scares me to hear her talk like that."**

**Betty nodded, "Do you want to go see her tomorrow, Daniel? I'll go with you. I need to speak to your father tomorrow, too. I'm really going crazy here, missing my dad. Justin's play is tomorrow night.**

**Do you want to come? He said we were the reason he has gotten such good feedback about his performance." she giggled. "Evidently we helped him 'bring the heat' into his performance."**

**Daniel smiled, "Yeah, I'd love to come. Justin's really talented. He's got a great future. He can dance, and sing and act, not to mention, he knows his way around a runway.**

**I can't believe he got you to wear black on your first day at Mode! Sometimes I think your family should have switched with mine, Betty. You and Justin should have been Meades, instead of me."**

**That night, as Betty was tossing and turning, she couldn't help thinking about what Daniel had said about switching places with his family. Her mind imagined Claire Meade as her mother.**

**That wasn't such a stretch, she reasoned. She loved Claire. They had had several great talks, at least when she was sober. She knew Claire was trying to hang onto her sobriety, in spite of all the turmoil she had been dealing with in her family.**

**She couldn't quite imagine Bradford Meade as her father at first, in spite of the kindness he had shown her in trying to start up the new magazine and offering her to take over for Sofia.**

**He had been proud of her, she reasoned. Something she realized Daniel had seldom gotten from his father. She felt almost guilty for taking any of the hard-won praise and acceptance from Bradford that Daniel so desperately craved.**

**She also pictured Daniel, as he had been in Mexico, hanging out with Ignacio Suarez and their other relatives. She pictured Daniel in a blue sombrero, riding a burro.**

**That just made her laugh. But now, remembering how kind he had been with her abuela, Yolanda, and how her maternal grandmother had thought Daniel was Ignacio...she imagined him with a little mustache, and a dark tan. Well...closer, now, mabye, she thought.**

**She imagined her life as a Meade. Having the power and success that not constantly worrying about money provided seemed like an aphrodisiac to her.**

**She saw herself somewhat as she had been in her previous little dream right before she got her new braces. The one where she worked for Wilhelmina instead of Daniel and he hated her, because she was just as mean.**

**Does power corrupt, she wondered? Seeing herself as successful, but somewhat power-driven made her question her motives and her priorities. Was being like the Meades something she really wanted?**

**Daniel _did_ seem less like his own family, she reasoned. He had his faults, but deep down, he was a kind, thoughtful man. That was what really attracted her to him in the first place.**

**The superficial things that DID make him a Meade and more attractive to the rest of the world were actually the part of him she had never liked. She was glad she knew the real person behind the facade.**

**After seeing Claire in prison, and realizing she definitely had some sanity issues relating to her drinking, Daniel reluctantly agreed to his mother's new lawyer's insistance to plead temporary insanity.**

**He struggled with his decision, however, "God, Betty. It sounds like I'm agreeing with my dad and everybody, saying Mom is insane! What kind of son does that make me?"**

**"The kind that does whatever it's going to take to get his mother out of jail, Daniel. It's the tough choices that really test our character sometimes. You love your mom. She isn't giving you a lot of options to help her right now."**

**"Well, good luck with my dad, today, Betty."he kissed her forehead. "He still likes you. I'm sure everything will be fine."**

**"I don't know, Daniel. Wilhelmina hates me. She may have persuaded him to fire me.**

**She knows I'll try and get you back in Mode if I'm on staff and have your dad's ear. She'll see me as a threat to her little empire. No offense to him, but I doubt very highly she is actually in love with your father."**

**"I know. She's obviously just after him so she can control the company. He thinks with his...well, let's just say it's the one area I used to take after him, unfortunately.**

**Thank God, I met you, Betty. Although... you do owe me that date we started." he said suggestively, putting his head against hers and running his hand down her arm.**

**"Betty, I'm ready for our meeting...oh, hello, Daniel." Bradford stepped out of his office.**

**"Dad. Not that you care, but I just saw Mom and she has agreed to go ahead with a plea of temporary insanity. Although, I'm sure you have much more important matters to discuss, such as your blushing bride." he didn't try to hide his contempt.**

**Betty, ever the peacemaker, saw the hurt and betrayal behind both sets of blue eyes. "Mr. Meade. I just wanted to thank you for all your support with allowing me to take the time off to help my father with his legal issues.**

**Thanks to Daniel's help, he should be home in a few weeks, in time for my sister's wedding. As you can imagine, he can't wait to walk her down the aisle."**

**Bradford smiled, "That's wonderful, Betty. When is your sister getting married?"**

**"June sixteenth."**

**"That's the same day...I'm getting married."**

**Daniel rolled his eyes, but didn't want to make things more difficult for Betty, so he excused himself, "Betty, I'll speak to you later. Dad. Give my regards to Alexis."he tried not to sound as cold as he felt. As he turned to leave, he looked back at his father, one more time, finding himself envying Betty's ambition and drive that his father so admired.**

**Little did he know just how much things were about to change in his world, as well as Betty's. He exchanged a weak smile at her just as she went in to speak to Bradford.**


	26. Chapter 26 Dangerous Liaisons

**Chapter 26: Dangerous Liaisons**

_Be aware, I have changed the rating on this story. Things are going to be heating up quite a bit for our pair! So, if you are underage, go get a parent and let them read it. Get a Harry Potter book, instead! LOL!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its' characters!

After a lovely dinner at Madison Six, that neither of them could really concentrate on eating, Betty and Daniel headed directly to his loft. They had been staring at one another longingly all night over dinner and holding hands at the table.

It seemed that all of a sudden, the heat between them had started coming to a very rapid boil.

They had talked about MYW, and Betty's new role there, back as editor again. Claire insisted that Daniel be re-instated as Editor-in-Chief of Mode, effectively demoting Wilhelmina back to Creative Director.

Even from prison, Claire Meade was not to be trifled with, it seemed.

She insisted that Alexis should be co-editor with Daniel if she wanted, but that since Mode belonged to her, that her children would be the ones running it, leaving Wilhelmina out.

Needless to say, Bradford didn't like having his soon to be ex-wife having control over HIS company and demoting his fiancee, but there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it at this point. He knew she had all the cards.

(Especially since she not only owned Mode, she had not signed the divorce papers yet, so he was still married to her.)

In the town car, Daniel was gently running kisses down Betty's neck and slid down the sleeve of her blouse to drop kisses on her shoulder. His hot breath on her was driving her insane.

She had never been so turned on before. Somehow, feeling how much he wanted her, needed to be with her, made her want him all the more, too.

They had not brought up the issue of Sofia all week, since she had dropped the bomb on them, effectively killing the mood for what would have been their first night together.

Since then, they had both been too consumed with family issues, and work to have time for any trysts. Now, at the end of a very long work week, they seemed to both crave the closeness they had been delaying for far too long.

Daniel whispered, "God, Betty, I want you so bad, I can't stand it. Please tell me you're coming up with me tonight? No more...waiting?"

She pulled his face to hers, smothering him with heated kisses, "Oh, yeah, Daniel, I'm definitely coming up with you. No more waiting." she said, breathlessly.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed, excitedly, making her giggle. He laughed, too.

"Sorry, I'm just so...you know. You've got me so worked up, I don't think I could wait one more day, Betty. I need you, babe. It's been a really long time."

She nodded, "It even seems like it to me, so I can only imagine how long it must seem like to Daniel Meade, mister ready, aim, fire!"

He pushed away, slightly, giving her a half-amused, half annoyed look, "Seriously? Who calls me THAT?"

"You don't want to know, Daniel."

"Who?"

"Well...Amanda, for one."

"Oh. I see. It's kind of weird that you two are thinking about being roommates, Betty. I mean, she's okay, but...I don't know if I'm all that comfortable having you two comparing notes about me or something."

She ruffled his hair, "Oh, is poor little Daniel afraid I'll find out something naughty about him from his ex-sex buddy? You've got to be kidding, Daniel.

Amanda tells me and just about everyone she meets about you and every other guy she's had sex with, so believe me, you've got no secrets with her."

"Nice! Uh, can we please forget about Amanda and get back to where YOU were turned on?"

She looked at him, surprised, "Who said I was turned on?"

He smiled, holding her arms and biting her ear, playfully, "Oh, I could tell. I sort of have a sixth sense about those things, Betty."

"Oh, really? Well, mister mind reader, maybe you'd like to tell me what I'm thinking about doing now?"

Before he could think, let alone answer her, she ripped open several of the top bottons off his shirt, exposing his chest to her, which did in fact, turn her on quite effectively.

She tried not to giggle, and spoil the heat they felt. She had to admit, she almost felt as if she was on one of her papi's telenovellas; they were always all dramatic, ripping off each other's clothes, and making out, then when the camera came in for a close up, their makeup would still be perfect!

But, she knew Daniel's style was known to be somewhat passionate, and she found her dreams and even daydreams had been very erotic lately, imagining what being with him would be like.

In fact, she hadn't been able to think of much else for the past several days, especially since their night had been so rudely interrupted. Part of her was almost afraid if they waited any longer, something would happen again to delay them indefinitely.

As soon as the car arrived outside Daniel's loft, he led her out, putting his arm around her and stopping frequently to kiss her neck or face, and a few times, he stood and kissed her mouth, always in a way that let her know how much he wanted her.

They barely made it out of the elevator without ending up on the floor. He had her against the side of the elevator wall, and started sliding his hand up her skirt, pulling her leg up, then wrapping his arms around her back, kissing her for all he was worth.

She could barely think straight, let alone walk off the elevator, he had her brain so fogged. She held on tightly to his arm as he tried to fish for his key. She decided to up her own game and put her arms around his waist from behind, sliding her hands into his shirt, where she had ripped it open.

He drew a breath, and almost dropped the key twice, before finally managing to focus enough to open the door.

Once inside, he pulled her around behind him, then flipped her abruptly against the wall, holding her hands up on either side of her while he had intertwined them in his, so he had her effectively 'trapped'.

He leaned close, so much so that she almost felt his lips against hers, and he just held them there, "I love you, Betty. I want you to know that. I don't know what I'd do without you.

I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but you mean so much to me. I...don't want you to think I'm taking this lightly, tonight. I want to make love to you, and hold you, and be with you, and nobody else, again, ever, just you."

She nodded, unable to speak at first, her knees felt like they were going to buckle under at how he was making her stomach flip flop right now. She whispered, "I love you, Daniel. I...want you, too."

She kissed his jaw, then his chest, pulling his shirt off and throwing it down. Man, the guy had a nice chest, she thought! She caught her breath as he, too, ripped her shirt off, pulling it away from her and leaning down to caress her breasts as he unzipped her skirt, and she stepped out of it.

He reluctantly released her from his grip, just long enough to reach down and scoop her up and carry her to the bedroom.

Once inside, he put her down, and stood, face to face with her, smoothing back her hair from her face, staring into her eyes. She had worn her glasses, and he looked at her as if to ask permission, then when she nodded, he gently removed them, placing them on his nightstand.

"Smart girl!" he teased. "Aww...you remembered I said it turns me on, huh?"

She nodded, smiling, "Mmmhmm. Plus, knowing what a klutz I am, I didn't want to accidentally lose a contact in your bed and be wasting valuable time looking for it."

He laughed lightly, "I like the way you think, wanting to make sure we use our time wisely, Betty. Very efficient, sweetie!" He kissed her neck, and started fingering the straps to her bra, teasing her.

He stopped for a moment, looking her up and down, appreciatively, "Wow! Betty, you're so hot! You wear way too many clothes."

She tried to tell herself to calm down. But having Daniel 'check her out' was a bit unnerving to a girl with lots of curves. "You're not...disappointed?"

"What? No! Betty, come on, I...well, I work at Mode, I think I can pretty much tell what a girl looks like under her clothes. That didn't sound right, sorry. I just meant...I knew you were uh...very curvy.

I like that, a lot. Believe me, I've had enough stick figure models to last me a lifetime. I don't want them anymore. They're a dime a dozen. You're unique, and amazing. You're beautiful, Betty. Don't ever doubt that, okay?"

She blushed, looking down, then smiled somewhat wickedly, putting her glasses on Daniel for a moment, "You can tell what a girl looks like under her clothes, huh, Daniel? What, do you have ex-ray glasses or something, Clark Kent? You think you're Superman?"

He laughed, peeking a look at himself in the mirror. "I can't see well enough with these on to tell how goofy they look on me! Yeah, sorry, I knew that didn't really come out right. I just meant, I love how you look, that's all."

She nodded, as he looked at her bra again, somewhat sheepishly, "Uh...is it okay if I, you know...take it off? I don't want to rush you or anything, Betty."

She smiled, "Right. What happened to you've got to have me right now? You're not having second thoughts now that you've seen the 'merchandise' are you?"

He smirked, raising one eyebrow, "I'll show you second thoughts, hot stuff." He pulled off her bra in one quick move, and had his own pants and boxers off in a few seconds, and had gently, yet quickly helped her lay down on the bed. He started kissing her neck and breasts, and slid his hand up her thigh, taking her by surprise, making sure she was ready for him.

He gently removed her panties, and placed small kisses down the length of her body, all the while massaging her and coaxing her to a slow and intense climax. He held his hand against her back, as she bit her lip, trying, but ultimately failing in her effort not to cry out rather loudly.

After he felt she was satisfied for the moment, he had already 'suited up' and entered her, slowly enough for her to be comfortable, but as soon as they were joined, he began losing his usual sense of control and felt like a young boy, unable to stop himself.

He fought to try and stay inside her, but the feelings of pleasure were too intense for him to do anything but plunge into her, deeper and deeper, till he felt total blackness and was going over the edge, grasping her body against his, pulling her ever closer, till he felt there was no space between them. He cried out, then drew a deep, long, shaky breath.

After a minute to collect his thoughts, he got off her, and took care of matters, then, walked back in, pulling on his boxers, and handing her her panties as he sat on the bed, sighing, "God, Betty, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me.

You must be so disappointed. I...promise, I can do much better than that. I can normally last a LOT longer, believe me. I guess it's just been so long, I didn't realize how nuts you make me, either.

I felt like I couldn't stop myself. I mean, you were awesome, intense, but that's just it, you...we uh, fit so perfect together, I couldn't control myself. I can't remember when that's happened before."

She ran her hand down his arm, smiling, "You think that was bad or something? Daniel, you took care of me first, then you say I felt so good you couldn't control yourself; are you kidding, I'm thrilled!

I think it was amazing! I'm glad you weren't in control. I sort of like having that kind of control over YOU, for a change. We can do more, later. But I was VERY satisfied. I'm sorry if you weren't."

"Oh, I was satisfied, believe me. I just came too quick, and thought you'd be disappointed, that's all."

"Well, you said you wanted to make love to me, Daniel. So, I figure, we have all night. That was round one. So far, I'd say it was great!"

He smiled, kissing her stomach, "Yeah? Well, now that I've gotten that out of my system and am not quite so quick on the draw, let's really take our time. Like you said, we've got all night. Do you trust me?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

After several hours of intense love-making, Daniel got up to get a drink of juice. He yelled out, "Are you hungry? Do you want me to order us something?"

She came in, wearing his shirt, and nothing else. The top bottons she had ripped made it extremely revealing, showing quite a bit of cleavage. He sat on his bar stool, and pulled her to him, "Wow! That looks so sexy, Betty. You are making me forget how hungry I am again."

He sat her on his lap, as he ordered the food, and the minute he hung up the phone, he took her aggressively against the kitchen wall. Betty was finding Daniel extremely amorous and saw that he was quite good at 'what he knew'.

Finally, they made their way to the sofa, sitting with Daniel draped over her. Betty looked up at him, "You can stop trying so hard, Daniel.

I get that you thought I wasn't satisfied the first time, but after all that, you've got to know...I definitely am now, for sure. Aren't you?" Betty couldn't help remember how she herself had played air traffic controller for him while he entertained three different women in one night.

Daniel seemed to be reading her mind, because he reddened slightly, "Betty, I know you must think I'm this totally pervy guy, who has to have a bunch of different women.

I know, that WAS me. I was that guy before I met you. I know it's a cop-out to say, but it was almost like I went through a lot of women so I'd get to the _right one_ that much faster or something.

I've known you were the one for me since I met you, practically. Or at least, since that day you teased me so much after you did your little make-over.

It was like you were letting me know you weren't just my assistant. You were so sexy; if I hadn't been your boss, and didn't think you would have slapped me, I swear, I would have taken you right there, on the desk or something."

"Yes, I know. You're not exactly the shy type, are you, Daniel? Why do you think I never wanted anyone thinking that's how I got my job? That sort of thing is not very good for a girl's reputation."

He nodded, pushing aside her hair, as he kissed her neck from behind her. "That's just another reason I'm glad I'm not your boss anymore. Although, it still doesn't mean you're going to be safe in the elevator at work if I happen to catch you alone in one."

She looked back at him as he continued up her neck and to her shoulder, holding her by her arms. She was having a hard time concentrating, but she said softly, "Daniel, we can't let people at work know...or at least, we can't actually do anything there.

I already get so much flak for being your dad's favorite because of you. I'm lucky nobody who was really faithful to Sofia stayed. Except for that Ruthie. I don't really trust her."

He moaned, "Betty, I don't think I can see you at work, and not touch you. Then, once I touch you, I'll just have to _have _you. You're so damm irresistible, sweetie." Now, he had turned her to face him, and took her face in his hands and they began kissing, when his cell phone started buzzing.

They parted, and he answered, with his arm still around Betty. She could tell immediately from the tone of his voice and his face that it wasn't good news. He almost dropped the phone. She looked at him, "Daniel, what is it? What's wrong?"

"That was Alexis. She said Dad just had a heart attack. It seems he went over to Wilhelmina's and found her together with her bodyguard. She's at the ICU with him now. Betty, I've got to go."

"Of course, do you want me to come with you?"

He nodded, "Would you?"

She squeezed his hand, "Of course, Daniel. Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" He threw his arms around her, and she hugged him, "No. I know we argued a lot. But, he is my father. I do love him, Betty."

She nodded, "I know you do, Daniel. He loves you, too. He's just not that good at showing you. But he does. Why don't you get dressed, first. I'll call for the car, then we can go check on him. Do you...want me to let your mom know, or do you think she's already been told?"

He shrugged, "Well, technically, she's still his wife, so I wouldn't be surprised if the hospital hasn't called her, but yeah, if you want to. Just see if she knows we're all going to be there with him. I'm sure she'd still want to know. No matter what's happened between them, I know she still loves him."

Betty nodded, and grabbed him for another hug, "Daniel, it's going to be okay. Your father is a strong man. He can survive this. You two will get through it." She patted his back, then finally pulled away and held him out from her, looking into his eyes,"I love you."

"I love you, too, Betty. I'm so glad you're here with me." He hugged her one more time, before he got up to get dressed. Betty started making her calls, watching him with concern. After a few minutes, he came back in and wrinkled his brow, upon seeing her face, "Betty, what is it? Is everything okay? Did the hospital call or something?" he could tell the news was not good.

"I...uh, tried to reach your mom at the jail. I guess someone already told her about your dad. Daniel, she somehow escaped."

"WHAT? Why the hell would she do that now? Oh, my God! Jesus! What in the world was she thinking? SHIT! Betty, I...can't believe she did that."

"Maybe she...just wants to see him again." Betty offered.


	27. Chapter 27 This Changes Everything

Chapter 27: This Changes Everything...

Disclaimer: I don't own/please don't sue!

Betty was trying to throw together some things in a bag, in case Daniel asked her to stay with him after they left the hospital.

She was worried about so many things right now, she didn't know where to start.

First, she was worried about Bradford Meade, the man who hired her both to keep his son from sleeping with his assistants and because he saw a fire and passion for publishing in her that reminded him of himself (or so he had told her).

Well, at least he got one of those right, now, she blushed, remembering her passionate night with Daniel, and getting all flushed thinking about how bold she had been with him.

Funny, she definitely didn't remember being that uninhibited with Wilbur, she giggled, sorry, Walter!

She had had very few opportunities to be with other guys in her life, at least until recently, of course. Her far from perfect smile had always kept guys away in high school.

College had had a few more chances, but mostly, the guys were put off by her braces, or glasses, or hair, or all of the above.

Yeah, guys were superficial jerks, that's for sure.

She definitely could have slept with Vincent(and came way too close, she thought, cringing now at the thought) .

There had only been heated kissing and a few slaps when he had gotten too handsy towards the end of their relationship.

Then there had been Henry, who seemed so sweet, and obviously liked her from the start.

But...she smiled, realizing that Daniel had once again, steered her away from Henry, interestingly enough because he had gotten his ex-girlfriend pregnant, and yet, here he was, being told by Sofia that she was carrying HIS child!

If it was true, she told herself, hoping against hope it wasn't.

Geez, hadn't anyone heard of birth control anymore? Betty knew Daniel definitely had a point about Sofia's faithfulness being in big question.

They already knew she had slept with Becks, and probably that Hunter she hired to try and make Daniel jealous.

Daniel said she admitted she was a sex-aholic, so she may have had many partners, any of whom could prove to be the father of her child.

Moving on to other matters of stress for Betty, now that she and Daniel had 'crossed that line' in a very big way, how were they going to handle matters at work?

She knew Daniel wasn't kidding when he threatened to attack her in the elevator, or his office, or hers. He had never been known to be particularly discreet.

Although the idea of office sex sounded very intriguing, Betty didn't really want to be known as the office slut.

Not that there weren't plenty of those to be had at Mode, including Amanda, among countless others.

But none of them was sleeping with the son of the owner of the company! (At least not any more!)

The final stressor was her application to the Young Editors Training Initiative. She knew Marc had applied, too.

Betty was actually happy for Marc that he suddenly seemed more focused on his career than on being Wilhelmina's 'b'. Part of her was almost rooting for him.

But, this would be such a big opportunity to really prove herself, even though things would be tight for a while, trying to run MYW and be part of the program.

This program promised much in the way of contacts and networking was always such a door opener.

(She cringed, realizing she was getting some of her 'business strategies' knowledge from Sofia's book).

Well, give credit where it was due, she thought. The woman knew about business. (and sex!)

Luckily,the start date for YETI wasn't until a month after her big launch, so she was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, and go into the selection committee with her actual launch presentation for MYW as her proposal piece.

She would be one of only two other applicants that were already editors, a young Asian woman that had inherited her job from her father's company (somewhat like Daniel), and a young man, Matt Hartley, who had been just a writer, but was now a features editor for some sports magazine she had never heard of before.

Betty hadn't had time to find out much about him yet. He looked kind of cute, but goofy as far as she could tell from the picture of him she had seen when she started her research of the initiative. Just another sports buff, which frankly bored her even more than Mode!

She absently opened her wardrobe to grab a sweater and a tall, African American woman, wearing a tennis outfit came out of hiding there. "Ahh! Uh, hello. Who are you? And why are you hiding in my bedroom?"

Suddenly, she saw Claire Meade behind her curtains, and she knew, more stress was just around the corner. "Mrs. Meade! What are you doing hiding out here?

My father is due back tonight from Mexico! His citizenship hearing is in three weeks. I'm sorry, but I can't hide you out here, it could cause trouble for him.

"Of course, Betty. I don't need to hide out here; I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to go into the hospital, and turn myself in, after I've seen Bradford.

I don't care what happens to me, but I won't let him die thinking I hate him. I know that bitch, Wilhelmina lied to him about me and used him to get her claws into our company.

He's foolish, and he's hurt me, but I've hurt him, too, and I still love him. I always have and I always will.

I know he loves me, too. That's why I need to see him and be with him at least one more time, just in case that's all we have.

I'm worried that since I've been in jail he hasn't been taking his heart medication regularly. I'm sure, knowing Bradford, he never told HER he needed it.

He probably even deliberately neglected taking it so it wouldn't interfere with Viagra."

Betty felt nothing but compassion and sympathy for this woman.

Yes, she was technically a murderer, but it was obvious to Betty just how much Claire Meade really loved her family and how her love for Bradford had driven her to...well, madness where Fey was concerned.

Betty saw just how much Claire was willing to sacrifice for a man who in spite of his faults, she loved dearly.

Knowing how crazy she had gotten in her desire to make sure Daniel had always had everything he needed over the past several months, she somehow better understood that craving and obsession the Meade men seemed to inspire in the women who loved them.

She recalled Christina telling her she had an 'addiction' when it came to Daniel.

That's why she knew, whatever his mother wanted, she would do. Daniel loved his mother, and so did Betty. "You want me to try and sneak you into the hospital, Mrs. Meade?

I would...but I don't see how I'll get you past all the press and security." She heard her family downstairs, and had a sudden thought, "Come on, Mrs. Meade, and...friend.

Sorry, I'm Betty. I didn't get your name? I assume you are a recent friend of Daniel's mom?"

The woman shook Betty's hand strongly. She had very masculine arms and a very firm handshake. "Pleased to meet you. Yoga's the name. Fish speaks very highly of you, Betty."

"Thank you, Miss Yoga. Pleased to meet you, too. If you both come downstairs, I think I might have an idea to help you get past everybody."

Betty took Claire and her friend downstairs and asked her sister to give Claire a make-under to match the picture and identity on her fake passport.

"Hilda, I need you to do us a BIG favor, no questions asked."

Hilda took one look at Claire and Yoga and grimaced, knowing what Betty was going to ask. "No problem, Betty. You definitely came to the right place!"

A few hours later, Betty saw Daniel. He looked so pale and worn. Frazzled, more like, she thought.

He ran his hands absently through his hair like she knew he often did when he was upset.

He turned and saw her, and she was glad to notice a slight smile escape his lips. She ran to him, and gave him one of her best 'Betty hugs' as he called them. "How are you holding up, Daniel?"

He shrugged, obviously thrilled to see her, trying to keep it together, perhaps partially for Alexis' sake, in spite of the animosity.

That was another thing she loved about him, his generosity of spirit and willingness to forgive and forget things.

"Daniel, your mom came with me. She's in the elevator now with my family. My papi's back from Mexico. He and Hilda brought her. If you and Alexis want to talk to her, you'd better go now.

She insists on seeing your dad, even if she is dragged away. She says she's turning herself back in.

She just needed to see him at least one more time, in case he doesn't pull through."

Daniel squeezed her around the waist tightly, but didn't comment, other than to say, "Okay. Thanks, Betty. Alexis, let's go."

Daniel gestured towards Bradford, and asked Betty gently, "Watch him for me, please?"

She nodded slowly, "Of course!" He turned back and hugged her again, "I'm glad you're here. I love you, Betty."

"I love you, too, Daniel." He leaned down for a rather lengthy kiss, causing Alexis' eyebrows to raise, but she didn't comment.

Then he walked towards the lobby, leading Alexis with him, and leaving Betty with his father, who was sleeping at the moment.

After a few minutes, she heard Bradford cough. "Mr. Meade, do you need anything? Do you want me to get the nurse?"

He shook his head, "No, Betty. Come here, please."

She complied, and held his hand, looking at him with sympathy. "How are you feeling, sir?"

"Not too good right now. Listen, Betty. I don't know if I have a lot of time, but I want you to know, I think you are the best thing I ever did for my son.

Don't let him drive you away. Please don't give up on him. You are the only one who seems to be able to keep him on the right path."

She nodded, wondering if he could somehow sense how far things had gone between she and Daniel.

She was right, "I know my son, and I'm sure sooner or later, he'll manage to lure you into his bed, if he hasn't already." he gave her a look, and she almost choked, her eyes wide, knowing she must be bright red by now.

"Just be careful. He is actually a much better man than I have been in many ways. I think he has more of Claire in him than me, thank God.

He needs guidance, though. He needs you. I'm glad he at least has the good sense to see it, too. I want you to know, I never changed my will to add Wilhelmina.

My Claire, Daniel and Alexis get everything."

"Mr. Meade, please don't talk like that. You're going to get through this, I'm sure."

"I...don't think so, Betty. Just know I love my family very much.

I only wish I had been a better husband and father instead of wasting all my time with the wrong women and building up my business. I love them all. I know I should have told them."

Betty had tears, that she tried to wipe away. She squeezed his hand, and turned to see Claire Meade standing, smiling bravely at the man she loved more than anyone. "Bradford, darling. You can't get rid of me that easily, you know."

"Claire! What are you doing here? You'll be caught."

"I don't care." she rushed to his bedside and took his hand as Betty stepped outside the room to join Daniel and Alexis who were watching out for the police or security, looking around nervously.

Claire smiled, looking up at the ceiling as she recalled their past, "Do you know, I still remember thinking when I saw you standing at the end of the aisle on our wedding day, 'I bet this son of a bitch is going to break my heart someday."

His eyes clouded, "And I did."

She squeezed his hand, "It wasn't all your fault. Besides, it doesn't matter. I'd still do it again. Thank you for a wonderful life."

"You know I loved you more than anyone, Claire. I'm so sorry I hurt you, and Daniel and Alex."

"Alexis." she corrected him, looking down at him, scolding him gently.

He nodded softly, conceding, "Alexis. I love you and Daniel and Alexis. I wish I could have more time to make things right.

I told Betty..." he suddenly gasped slightly and she reached out to him, but he just slumped and his eyes closed.

"Bradford!" she hugged him. and came out, crying and holding her arms out to Daniel and Alexis, "He's gone. Your father's gone!"

They both hugged her, while Betty went to get the doctor, but saw they were on their way, responding to Bradford's monitor.

They worked on him for almost an hour, but to no avail. Claire was right, Bradford Meade was dead.


	28. Chapter 28 Teamwork

**Chapter 28: Teamwork**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!

"Don't hurt our mother! She isn't trying to get away." Betty's heart ached as she heard Alexis and Daniel plea with the police who took Claire away in handcuffs from her husband's bedside.

As soon as they returned, she hugged them both, trying to offer what comfort she could, drawing on her own experience of having been through the loss of her mother, and Hilda and Ignacio joined in offering words of encouragement.

They were all extremely concerned about Claire's situation, but nonetheless, grateful she had a chance to at least say her goodbyes to the man she loved before it was too late.

Ignacio hugged and patted Daniel lovingly on the back, "It's going to be okay, mijoh. I know it aches right now, but you are a strong man, just like your father. You and Alexis will be able to help your mom and both of you will make him proud of you for running the business, too. I know it."

Daniel seemed to draw some strength and comfort from the man who had shown him more acceptance than his own father.

Hilda and Ignacio offered to take Alexis back to Queens for some home cooking. She accepted gratefully. Daniel looked down at his hands as Betty put her arm around his back, trying to get him to look at her, "Daniel. Do you want to go home?

I can make a sandwich or something for us and we can just sit up and talk for a while. We'll figure some things out, then when you're up to it, you can try and get some rest. I'll stay with you."

He looked defeated, but smiled slightly at her suggestion and nodded, "That sounds like a good idea, Betty. Thanks."

As they sat in the back of the town car, he just looked ahead, in a dazed state of shock and denial. Betty grabbed his hand, "Daniel. It's going to get better, I promise. You might not think so now, but it will."

He closed his eyes and laid his head down on her lap, sobbing softly. She stroked his hair gently for a while, then rubbed his back. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. I know how much it hurts. And this stuff with your mom is just making things even more overwhelming."

When they got to his loft, Daniel sat up and hugged Betty tightly. "Thanks. I'm so glad my dad at least had the good sense to hire you." He thought for a minute, "Betty, what did he say to you when you two were alone?"

She thought for a minute, then smiled, "Well, he said he thought hiring me was the best thing he ever did for you."

"No argument there. What else?" He smiled, wiping his eyes.

"He told me not to give up on you and that he thought I was the one who would be able to keep you on your right path.

Oh, he uh…said he knew you and knew that 'sooner or later, you would manage to lure me into your bed.'" She blushed.

He smiled, "Yeah, well, it took an old dog like my dad to know me, I guess, huh? Did you…tell him he was right about that?"

"I didn't have to. He knew by my face."

He chuckled, "Yeah, you're not a very good liar, Betty."

"Neither are you!"

"I know. That's fine. What else?"

"Let's see, he said you were a better man than he was and that he wanted you and your mom and Alexis to know how much he loved you all and how sorry he was for hurting you. He also said not to worry about his will. He never changed it to include Wilhelmina.

Oh, and he said he wished he would have spent more time as a husband and father rather than chasing women and building up his business."

Daniel drew a deep breath and nodded, collapsing into her arms. Betty just held him for several minutes.

After they had gotten inside, Betty made them some sandwiches, and after they had eaten in silence, Daniel sighed. "I guess I'm never going to hear that 'I'm proud of you son; I love you' I had been waiting for my whole life now."

"You know he was, though, Daniel. I think he really admired you leaving and taking a chance. He WAS proud of you and he did love you. He was just like many men his age; he never learned to say it in words.

His way of telling you and Alexis and your mom he loved you all was to try and 'provide for you' by building up his business for you. My papi's way is to cook.

Which is why I'm not over there right now. But maybe I should call him so I can have him tell me how to make something you would eat."

Daniel smiled, "So he can fatten me up? That's okay. I'm not really all that hungry, anyway. I'll let him do that to Alexis. I'd rather be here with you. Thanks for coming over."

"Of course. Whatever you need, Daniel." She came and sat next to him on the sofa, patting his hand.

"I…need you, Betty. I need to feel alive. Is that…okay?"

She nodded, "I understand. I felt that way, too, after my mom died. I think a lot of people…"

Daniel kissed her fervently, and pulled her to him.

She responded to his feverish kisses and after several minutes of 'making out' on the sofa, Betty led him to the bedroom. She gently took off his shirt and her own, while Daniel continued to kiss her intensely. He seemed to be determined to be as 'alive' as he could and to prove it to himself.

After they had made love, she held him tightly, while he tried to hold back the flood of emotions that seemed to be swirling inside him.

He hugged her as if she were a life raft, "Betty, I can't believe he's really gone. Now, with mom back in jail…I feel like I have all this weight on my shoulders, like everyone expects me to be my dad, to fix things and I don't know if I can do it.

I got a call from an old college buddy the other day, Connor Owens. I think he wants to come work for Meade, as a CFO. Dad was the one who knew everything about finances. Alexis…is better than I am at that, too. But maybe now that Dad's gone…"

"Connor Owens? No! Daniel. There was a guy with an Australian accent in my dream named Connor Owens. He swindled the company and Meade Publications nearly went bankrupt because of him! Please…do NOT hire him!"

"Okay. If you feel that strongly about it, Betty, I won't. I haven't really heard anything much from him since college. I was mainly going to hire him to piss off Wilhelmina, anyway. With Alexis here, I guess we don't need him. She can step up and take over most of Meade as far as I'm concerned.

Wilhelmina and I can run Mode…I want to take some courses and get my MBA, maybe look at advertising eventually. But right now, with Dad gone, people are going to expect me to fill his shoes to some degree.

I need to stay at Mode to show everyone my dad's death doesn't mean the end of the company."

Betty smiled at him, brushing his hair out of his face, "That was amazing, Daniel."

He smirked, "What, the sex? Thanks. I enjoyed it, too. Stick around; there will definitely be later. I just need a little break first." He winked at her, putting his arm around her.

She rolled her eyes, "No! I mean, well, yes, I did, too. But, you know what I meant. I was talking about how you are already starting to take charge. Your dad would be very proud."

He hugged her, "I love you for trying to help my relationship with my dad, Betty. I wish I had what you and your sister have with your father. You're lucky you're all so close."

"Yeah, well that closeness comes with a price-total lack of privacy. I mean, I know I shouldn't complain. I love how close my family is, but sometimes they are a little too nosey!"

He smiled, knowingly, "So, I suppose your dad will be asking me what my intentions are soon, then? I take it he and Hilda already know about us?"

"Yeah. Well, nosey Hilda guessed, after giving me the third degree, and her mouth is bigger than Texas, so I'm sure papi knows or will know soon enough, I'm afraid. He likes you, so…I think you're safe enough. I wouldn't worry too much." She kissed him on the cheek. "So, maybe _I _should ask what your intentions are, though."

He traced a circle on her back, "Well, right now, you mean? Um…I was thinking maybe you felt like a bath or I could…"

She rolled to the side, and playfully slapped his hand, grinning, "No, silly! Daniel…come on, you know what I meant. Your intentions for us."

"I don't know. You mean you don't want to just fool around? You expect me to make an honest woman of you at some point, is that what you're hinting around about? Betty…come on, honey. We've only had sex twice, well, you know what I mean, on two different occasions, anyway. I hardly think this is a long term relationship yet."

Betty's eyes were getting wider and she was clearly getting upset, when she saw he was joking. "Are you serious?"

He smiled, "NO! Of course not, silly! I mean yes, I'm serious that I think we need to wait for any kind of well…trips to Tiffany's I guess, but I definitely want to talk about our future soon. I just need to get that little matter with Ms. Reyes taken care of first, babe. You know I don't even want to think about it right now, especially with my family stuff, but I called Becks and he's coming back to town to eliminate both of us. Who knows whose kid it is with her...IF she's even really pregnant at all!"

She nodded, "Yes. You're right, Daniel. I was just kidding about the intentions stuff."

He grinned, "No you weren't. But, that's okay. I know you're not the kind of girl to just sleep around with a guy if you don't think there's a future, Betty. I respect that. Even sympathy sex is not really in your repertoire. But I think we could call this 'happy to be alive' sex more than anything. I definitely feel much better, that's for sure."

"I'm glad I could be of service." She teased. "I think that was much better than my cooking, believe me."

"Yeah, I think so, too. I've tasted your cooking, remember?"

They sat at the kitchen table, and Betty took out a laptop and paper and pens. "I can make all the necessary calls for your father, Daniel. If it's too hard for you and Alexis. I'd be happy to do that for you guys. I'll just check with his lawyer to see if he had anything in his final wishes about what kind of service he wanted, that kind of thing."

He put his hand on hers, "Thanks. Let me call Alexis and mom first, and make sure they hadn't spoken to him about it, though."

They worked on making the arrangements for Bradford Meade's funeral service quickly, and like their usual 'teamwork', resulted in finishing everything in a matter of a few well-spent hours.

When they had finished, Daniel looked drained. Betty had already called to have food delivered and led him to the bath she had drawn. "Daniel, come with me." She said gently as she took off his sweatpants and boxers and he stepped into the large tub, with Betty sitting behind him, rubbing the tension out of his back and shoulders. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her 'taking care' of him, and letting the stress fade away.

After they had talked softly for a while, the buzzer rang and Betty went to get the food. She brought in the Thai and fed him the noodles. After a few times of spilling them, he smiled, and pulled her into the tub with him, still wearing his shirt, after he had pulled down the shorts of his she had thrown on in order to answer the door. "You have terrible aim, Betty. Just get in here with me, already, will you?"

When they finally got out of the tub and went back into the bedroom, Daniel received a call from Becks. "Hey, I'm in town. I did the test. I'm not her baby daddy, Daniel. She's still claiming YOU are, of course. I just heard about your dad, though. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over, bring some refreshment and some entertainment?"

"Uh, no. Thanks, but, Betty's here. I'm okay. She's uh, feeding and taking care of me. But, you're still more than welcome to come over."

"Need a break, huh? Sure, if she doesn't mind putting on some clothes. I mean, I'm fine with her being naked, but…"

Daniel laughed, "Thanks, Becks. I think that's the first time I've actually laughed today. Yeah, sure, come on over. NO sleazy jokes or come-ons in front of Betty, though, okay? Be on your best behavior!"

When he got off the phone, Betty smiled, "It was good to see you laugh, Daniel. What did he say? Any news about Sofia?"

He shook his head, "Well, he's not the father. But that still doesn't mean I am. Let's face it; she's not exactly Mother Theresa."

She nodded, trying to look strong and un-phased. Daniel wasn't buying it, though. He pulled her closer to him, putting his arm around her waist.

"Look, if you have faith in me, Betty, we'll figure something out, even if by some chance it is my kid. I love you. I'm never in a million years going back to her, if that's what you're really worried about, honey."

She smiled, "I guess I was a little worried about that, Daniel. I know you have too much to think about now without this stuff about Sofia on your plate, too. My insecurities are the last thing you should be concerned about."

"Hey, just because I have a lot to deal with right now, Betty, that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have feelings about this, too, okay? I know it's something to consider. I mean, knowing her, she would probably use a baby to try and blackmail me, so I hope to God it's not mine. But, on the other hand, she's hardly a fit mother. I don't know. I've been thinking…a baby wouldn't be the end of the world. Although, I have someone else in mind for a mother."

Betty's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

"Well, don't panic. I didn't mean I want to get you pregnant or anything, Betty. I just meant, if we…did end up together and worse-case scenario, she is having my baby, we could give her some cash or whatever and send her away, then raise the baby as ours. If you….think you could be a step-mom…eventually. I know this is all just total projecting, but, I don't know. I'm sort of old enough to be thinking about a family. What's with that face, are you freaked out?"

There was a knock on the door, and before Betty had a chance to answer, Becks stood in the door, holding a bottle of wine and Scotch, grinning, "Hey, you two! Come on, we're all getting wasted!"


	29. Chapter 29 Friends of the Family

**Chapter 29: Friends of the Family **

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty. If I did, I'd have lots of fun with Daniel and Becks-lucky Betty!

After about five glasses of wine for Betty and four or five shots of whiskey each for Becks and Daniel, everyone was feeling very friendly and happy, it seemed.

Becks held up a glass of beer chaser, "To your dad, Bradford Meade. May he rest in peace!"

Daniel and Betty lifted their glasses.

Daniel said, "Here, here! Hey, at least he won't be chasing stupid Miloweenie-ah around anymore now." He made a face.

"Can you imagine any crazy devil babies SHE would have?" he shook himself at the thought. "IF she could even HAVE kids. God, I hope not! Geez, that'd be worse than Queen Sofia, bitch-o-roonia!"

"All right. I think that's enough trash talking ex's and parent's ex's, guys." Betty tried to sound reasonable and respectable, but was feeling a bit tipsy herself.

"Oh, look at Betsy. Always the peacemaker. The sweet little innocent girl."

"NO she's not! She's _definitely_ _**not**_ innocent. And it's Betty, not Betsy!" Daniel seemed to be coming to her defense, but too late realized he had perhaps made a faux pas.

"Daniel! Shut up!" she blushed.

Becks grinned, "Ooh, I get it. You guys HAVE shacked up, finally, then, huh? I was just teasing before about the naked thing. OH, how sweet.

Seriously, how are you going to deal with work, though? Won't it be a little hard, at least for you, Daniel? Trying to get work done around your hot little senorita here?"

"Hey! Watch it with the racial stuff, Beckett!" Betty scolded him.

"Sorry. I meant Miss Suarez. Won't it be hard being around one another at work all the time and not ripping each other's clothes off?" he laughed.

"We'll manage." Betty eyed him, and sat closer to Daniel.  
"Really? How? He can barely keep his hands off you now, just in front of me."

Daniel was indeed, grabbing Betty from behind, and nuzzling her neck.

She shook her head, pushing Daniel's hands away, "That's just because we're drunk, Becksie. Daniel can keep his hands to himself when we're sober. I can, too."

"Sure you can. Good luck with that. Listen…about the little _other matter_ we talked about earlier."

"You mean the bitch?" Betty's eyes clouded over.

Both men stared at her, shocked.

"Sorry. But she IS!"

Daniel laughed, "Well, yeah. But I just don't think I've heard you talk like that before, Betty."

"I can't help it, Daniel. She tried to use you to marry her just so she could sell a story and now, I can't help but think she's pulling some kind of angle with this whole baby thing, you know? I mean, you said you used...protection, right?

So, how many times do they work before you get the stati-testical proba-billy thing where they don't work? I mean, look at Henry and that Charlie girl of his.

Just how MANY times do you guys have to have **sex** with these women before the condoms are useless, anyway? I'm confused, and I guess maybe I'm a little jealous.

No guy has ever had sex with me THAT many times that the probabilily thing became an issue!"

"Well, don't worry, honey. We'll definitely get to that point, too. I mean, we just started...uh, doing stuff. You don't really WANT to get pregnant, though, do you? I mean, if you do, I'm sure we could figure something out, Betty." He kissed her neck, suggestively, but she pushed him away.

"NO! That's not what I meant. I want to work. I don't want a baby. Mine or anybody else's right now, Daniel. I'm sorry, but I hope you aren't a daddy yet, because I don't really want to raise any kids at the moment.

I helped Hilda with Justin and he's great. He's a wonderful kid, but I swore to myself that would NEVER happen to me!

Why do you think I just read books and magazines and got my degree and didn't ever worry too much what I looked like? I mean, my teeth were such a mess, it didn't ever matter anyway.

But I could have tried to be more like Hilda, I guess, dressed sexy and gone after guys. Look where it got her, though!

She's a really great woman, with so much potential and she loves her son, as she should, but…she was too young! I'm too young, Daniel! I'm sorry, but I'm only twenty-three. I'm not ready to be a mother yet." She stood up, as if to leave.

Daniel put his hand on her arm, "I know. I shouldn't have said that, Betty. I hope it's not my kid, too. Let's not freak out, okay?

She's probably just lying, anyway. I'll take the stupid test next week, so we can know for sure. But, please don't run away. I need you now." He reached out his hand and pulled her by her arm towards him.

Becks cleared his throat, "Okay, you two. This is getting a little too lovey-dovey for me. I think I'm going to go back to the bar I was at earlier.

There was a pretty willing brunette there that gave me her number. Good luck with uh… everything.

I'm going to use your town car, Daniel. See you all later. Let me know about your dad's service, and I'll be there, okay, buddy?"

Daniel nodded and slapped his friend's hand, "Thanks, Becks. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Miss Betty. Be nice to poor little Danny boy here. He talks about you all the time. Drives me nuts!" he grinned, kissing Betty on the cheek as he left.

After the door shut, they both started to speak at the same time, "I'm sorry!" Daniel waved her ahead, "You first, Betty."

"Daniel, I'm really sorry. I know that must have sounded really selfish and awful of me to say. I love Justin. I know Hilda is so proud of him and…if you are a father, I'll try to help you any way I can. I'll support you. We'll figure it out, somehow."

"Well, thanks, Betty. But first of all, I doubt seriously it's mine. Second, you have every right to want your own future. You are too young to think about a family right now. I'm older, but…that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice any of your dreams.

You're right. We'll figure things out, somehow. First thing next week, I'll get the test so I know one way or another. Then we'll go from there. Right now, can we just relax for a while and not do anything? I'm kind of worn out. I don't want to think about anything for the rest of the night, except maybe a repeat of what we did earlier."

"How are you already sober? Didn't you drink as much as me and Becks? You seem almost normal. I still feel dizzy. I don't usually drink that much."

"I learned a little trick a long time ago with Becks. I pretend to take two drinks to his one, and once he's loaded, he either goes to sleep or goes after girls and leaves me to recover.

I saved myself so many hang overs that way with him. He's kind of hard core sometimes, but he means well. He's a great guy once you get to know him."

"Yeah. He seems to really care about you. You're lucky to have such a good friend. That was pretty nice of him to come back from Africa just to be tested."

"Well, he's got some money, too. He probably wanted to protect himself against her naming him as much as I do. He was definitely her 'fall back' to make her paternity claim against, I think."

"You seem familiar with all the terminology."

"Well, yeah. I'm thirty-three, Betty. You know my track record with women. This is hardly my first paternity suit scare. Which is why I'm always careful. I don't care if the woman tells me she's sterile or on birth control or is the Virgin Mary, whatever…well, you know."

"Yeah. Believe me, I know, Daniel. I've bought your condoms for you before, remember?"

"Sorry, babe." He grinned, mischievously.

"Puppy dog eyes? Really? Daniel, I've been your assistant long enough to know how you've acted around women. So please don't try to charm me or 'handle' me like you do them, okay?

I'm trying really hard right now to just feel sorry for you about your dad and NOT think about Sofia Reyes or any of the other women you've been with in the past."

"Betty, I'm sorry. I was stupid for ever getting involved with her. I see that now. I wish I could go back and not have had anything to do with that woman in the first place.

I was just…hurt. I thought you were all in love with that crazy Vince character at the time and I sort of wanted to get back at you."

She smiled, "Aww…you were jealous? How cute."

"Well, yeah. Of course. He was from your neighborhood. He seemed to really be into you and you were acting like you were hanging on every word he said. It made me kind of pissed off."

"That's why you started seeing Sofia? Because you were jealous of me and Vince?"

"Kind of, yeah." Betty put his head against her, "Okay. I guess I can understand that. Are you…feeling rested now?"

"Yeah, sure. I feel fine. What did you have in mind? Some more-what did you call it before when you were drunk? Oh, yeah, stat-testicular proba-billy sex or some crazy thing! You're very cute when you're drunk, by the way, Betty. You should do it more often." He kissed her slowly and passionately.

In Queens, Ignacio Suarez was happily preparing food for Alexis, Hilda, and Justin. Claire Meade was the subject of discussion at the moment. "I know Mom has just given up, and part of that is because with Dad gone, she is so depressed right now.

But, I really feel like we have at least a shot to get her out on the temporary insanity plea. It's not ideal, but I just can't stand the idea of her in jail one second longer than she needs to be.

It doesn't help that she escaped, but given the circumstances with Dad dying and everything, I think the judge and even the jury will be willing to put that all aside. We just have to prove she wasn't in her right mind at the time she had Fey's brakes cut."

"Do you remember what was going on at the time?" Justin and Hilda seemed mesmerized by the drama and excitement the Meade's brought to their lives. Ignacio set down a plate of tamales and rice, with vegetables. "Have something to eat, mijah.

You need something to keep going with all this stress. Betty called earlier and said the service for your father will be the day after tomorrow. Let's just get you through that first, then you can worry about your mother's defense. One thing at a time. You look exhausted. You are welcome to lie down in Betty's room."

"She isn't coming home? Oh. Right. She's probably staying with Daniel tonight. Well, maybe. Thanks. If you're sure it's okay. That sounds nice. I really appreciate everything, Mister Suarez. You have all been wonderful.

It was so great of you all to help my mother come and sneak into the hospital so she could see Dad one last time…" she broke down. Ignacio hugged her, "Oh, you poor girl! You've had a very tough time! It's going to be alright. I promise."

At Bradford's funeral service, Becks and Betty stood on either side of Daniel, along with Alexis and Betty's family. Daniel spoke a few words, as did Alexis.

They were upset, but trying to keep it together, when a stir of commotion from the press they had been unable to completely avoid saw Claire, being brought to the service in chains and wearing her orange jumpsuit.

When Claire saw Wilhelmina, she ignored the attempts at restraint from her 'handlers' and pushed the woman into an open grave, then smiled wickedly, looking down at her, "Just where you belong!

Get used to looking up, you bitch! You have no business here. Bradford didn't leave you any money, so you might as well move onto someone else!"

She joined her children to pay her respects to her husband.

Later, as Marc helped her get cleaned up, Wilhelmina huffed furiously, "MARC! Help me get out of this filthy dress! That horrid woman! I can't believe she was allowed to get out of her cell.

If I can't have Bradford, we'll just see how things are going with Daniel and his heir! Get me that Reyes woman! NOW!"

Marc looked at her with a mixture of fear and respect, "She's gone, Willi! No one seems to know where she is! She took a paternity test with that hot man friend of Daniel's yesterday but when she heard Bradford died, she disappeared who knows where!"

"Well find out _where_, Marc. Go on, do your job! I want to talk to her and see if she is really pregnant like she told me she was and if it's Daniel's child or not!"


	30. Chapter 30 Mister Charm

**Chapter 30: Mister Charm**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its' characters!

Daniel Meade had often been in the position of having a woman proposition him. He had money, and fame, so having women throw themselves at him came with the territory.

But he had only recently realized that being with Betty meant he had to firmly shut the door on that kind of behavior. He no longer sought the cheap thrills that sex with a different woman had brought him.

He knew from experience that sex with the one woman who loved him for himself was much more intense, more satisfying. Being with Betty was not only exciting, it completely fulfilled him, something he had never found with any of the countless, almost faceless one night stands over the years.

Having led the life he had in his past, when he stepped onto the Meade elevator and smiled at a pretty woman in her late twenties that he recognized only as working somewhere on the MYW team with Betty, having seen her on one of his many visits to that floor, he really should have been more prepared for what happened.

"Hey, Daniel. I missed you on my floor today. How have you been since your father's death? I was so sorry to hear about that. Please accept my sincerest condolences!" She came a little too close to put her hand on one side of Daniel's chest.

He stepped back against the side of the elevator, hoping she'd get the message. He kept his head straight ahead and told her, "Thank you. I've been coping. I'm lucky to have Betty. She's been so sweet and understanding, since she lost her mother, I think it has helped her to be even more empathetic to my loss. You work with her at MYW, right? I think I've seen you there when I was visiting Betty."

There, that should have been clear enough, he thought. Surely, that would send his message loud and clear. He was dating Betty, and she was comforting him. But that just seemed to fuel this woman on more.

She ran her hand up Daniel's arm, "Yeah, she's cute, but Daniel, don't you miss your usual type of woman? I mean, don't get me wrong, Betty's a sweetie, but…really? She's a little short and kind of round. Don't you usually go for women with a little less meat on their bones?"

"Excuse me?" Daniel couldn't believe how incredibly rude and bold this woman was being.

"What is your name?" he wanted to get it right when he had her fired.

She took it as a come on, though. She purred and slid her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his chest, "It's Amelia. Like Earhart? Only that's not my last name."

Daniel peeled her off of him as the doors of the elevator opened, and Amanda stood waiting to get on.

Her eyes popped at the sight of Daniel, peeling off this woman from him. "Daniel! What the hell?"

Daniel shook his head, fearing Amanda was going to get the wrong impression and immediately 'tell on him' to Betty. She and Betty had actually become 'besties' and were looking at apartments to share recently.

Now Daniel forcefully pulled Amelia off of him and pushed her away, then stepped off the elevator.

"Amelia…whatever your name is, you're fired! I won't have you talking about my girlfriend like that and coming on to me. That was completely unprofessional and unwanted.

Sexual harassment works both ways, miss. I suggest you leave the building now before I have you escorted out forcefully by security!"

The elevator doors closed with Amelia's mouth open before she could respond and Amanda looked at Daniel, smiling, "That had better been for real, Daniel and not just for my benefit!

Betty and I are getting to be besties and I don't usually get along with girls, because they're always jealous of how beautiful I am, but Betty's not like that, plus she actually tries to help me, which is weird but I really sort of like.

So, you'd better not be cheating on her, or I'll cut your big old thingy off in your sleep, I swear. I don't care if we did fool around before; you'd better be good to my Betty!"

"Hey, she's MY Betty, Amanda. I'm the one actually sleeping with her. And watch the security tape, if you don't believe me. I barely spoke two words to that woman. I didn't even know her name until she said it just now. I still don't know her last name."

Amanda snorted, "Like that ever stopped you from screwing a woman, Daniel!"

He nodded, reluctantly, "Good point, Amanda. But, seriously, you don't have to believe me. We'll get the security footage and you'll see.

She started spouting stuff about condolences then all of a sudden, she started trashing Betty and telling me I would only want a skinny girl like her or some crap and pawing at me. I was telling her how great Betty was the whole time, I swear to you."

She eyed him and sighed, "God help me, I actually believe you, Daniel. I still want proof, though. Let's get that tape. I want to see it in black and white. Or color. Is the video in color?"

He breathed out, "No. not that it matters. You can still tell what's going on…or in this case isn't going on. Come on!"

They got on the elevators to head to the basement where the security office was located. They got there, and saw Alan, the guard, leaning with his feet up on the counter.

When he saw Daniel he sat up and looked at the cameras alertly, "Mister Meade. Good to see you, sir! I haven't seen you in some time. I mean. How are you? So sorry to hear about your father. He was a great man. We'll all miss him."

Daniel seemed almost amused, "Had my father ever come down here to speak to you? Ever?"

"Well…no. Not since I've worked here, but…"

"How long have you worked here?"

"Ten years."

"I see. Well, thanks, Alan, but listen; I need a favor. I was just sort of harassed by this woman who works at MYW. I don't know her last name. Her first name is Amelia.

Can you show us the footage from the elevator that just went from the twenty-second to the twenty-eighth floor about ten minutes ago? Maybe look back through the footage and play it back so we can see it?"

They leaned in as Alan pushed a few buttons on his computer screen and found the footage in question. Amanda watched, and saw Daniel clearly backing up, away from Amelia, as she continued to advance on him.

"There's no sound? These are just 'silent' films? Oh, my gosh, how boring for you, you poor man!"

She looked at Alan with sympathy, thinking he was hot. Too bad, he was poor. She shrugged, thinking maybe she would throw him a 'freebie' anyway, just for fun.

She purred at him, stroking his hair, "You're kind of cute, for a poor guy. So, do you sit her all day, watching people do stuff on the elevators? OH, my God, you've probably seen me! You naughty boy!"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, "Okay, so, if you're satisfied…uh about Betty, Amanda, I think I'm going to go. You two have fun, now. See you later."

She waved, not even looking in Daniel's direction. "Yeah, you're fine, Daniel. The slut was clearly hitting on you. Don't worry. I won't tell Betty."

"It's fine. I'll tell her myself. I don't want her thinking I've got anything to hide."

Amanda was practically climbing onto Alan's lap now, messing up his hair, and dismissed Daniel, waving him away, "Fine, great! Have fun, Daniel!"

Betty looked up, surprised to see Daniel coming in to her office so early. "Are you hungry, already, Daniel? It's only eleven. I thought we weren't going to lunch until…" he grabbed her and kissed her forcefully and passionately until she started responding to him and their kisses got very heated.

After a few minutes, Betty finally broke away, breathing heavily. "Okay! Wow! Somebody had their Wheaties this morning. What's with the early morning passion, Daniel?

Are you into that 'glad to be alive' thing again? Is this still about your dad or something? I mean, it was definitely nice, not that I'm complaining. I just think it might be a little better if we at least wait until we're in the elevators on the way to lunch or something. You're going to make me so distracted I won't be able to get any work done!" she laughed.  
"NOT on the elevator, thank you! We're never touching on the elevator again here."  
"Ok-ayyy, fine, Daniel. Not on the elevator. What did the elevator break down and scare you or something? Why are you acting so weird? What's going on?"

He told her about Amelia and Amanda and what had happened. Her eyes got wide, "Amanda defended me, huh? See, I told you she has some nice qualities."

"I know that. I did sleep with her. I mean, you know, before. I like Amanda. I just didn't trust her that much. But, obviously, I was wrong about her. I still worry about Marc, though. And she and Marc are thick as thieves. He's permanently attached to Wilhelmina like some kind of barnacle, so I definitely don't trust Marc."

"Well, first things first, Amelia's last name is Mackenzie and she had better not ever show her face here again, or she'll have to answer to me.

How dare she trash me and hit on you? That little, two-faced bitch! I was actually nice to her, too."

He smiled, holding her around her waist and kissing her, "You're nice to everybody, Betty. You're a nice person. But more importantly, you have a nice butt." He slid his hands around her backside, nibbling on her neck.

She grinned, but slid his hands up to her waist, "Daniel! Not in my office, okay? Did you even remember to lock the door this time? You forgot before and Marc walked in, that was really embarrassing!"

He shrugged, whispering in her ear and biting it lightly, "Yes, I locked your door this time. Who do you think you're dealing with, Betty? I am Daniel Meade. I know how to romance a woman."

"Right. Not helping your case much with that kind of talk, mister. You're lucky we do have cameras in the elevators. Otherwise, I don't know if your word alone would have been enough to convince anyone with your reputation as mister ladies man."

"Yeah. That does kind of suck. Now, nobody will believe that I'm a bad boy turned good boy, including you, huh?"

He continued the line of kisses down her neck and to her collarbone and bare shoulder, facing her and holding her by the shoulders, "Do you believe me? Do you trust me? I love you, Betty. I don't want anyone else, okay? I don't want you worrying about me cheating."

She nodded, "I trust you, Daniel. I probably shouldn't. But I do." She closed her eyes and 'went with it', succumbing to his advances and finding herself getting swept up in the heat of the moment.

Just as she and Daniel were getting themselves back in order, her phone buzzed, causing them to both jump slightly.

They laughed, and Betty slid her tongue across her lips, as she answered, trying to sound as professional as possible, "MYW, This is Betty Suarez."

"Are you done screwing Daniel so we can have a little girl to girl chat, Betty?" She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Sofia? Where are you? You need to…" Daniel grabbed the phone from Betty, angrily shouting into it.

"Get your ass back here, so we can do this damn test and I can prove your little bastard demon seed isn't mine, Sofia! Where the hell did you go? Why did you run away?"

"Awww…what's wrong, Daniel? Did I not give you enough time to finish screwing Betty? I saw you on the elevator, messing around with that Amelia girl from my magazine earlier. Two women before noon. That's pretty good, even for you, Mister Meade. Is Betty not satisfying you? I'm sure you miss our passion."

"I don't miss anything about you. So, you're here, in the building? If you saw me go into the elevator with Amelia and know I'm here with Betty, that means you have to be here, right, Sofia?" he looked around, and finished buckling his pants, going to the door of Betty's office and looking around outside.

Sofia laughed, "You're such an idiot, Daniel. I could be thousands of miles away, and just watching you on the video surveillance. The joys of technology. No, I'm not there. But I will be soon to prove to you that this is your child. I expect to be treated with the respect I deserve for bearing your heir, too."

"What the hell does that mean? You want money? First come prove yourself. I don't think you're even really pregnant. If you are, God knows whose it is.

You're such a slut, it could be anybody's. Is there anyone you haven't slept with? You told me yourself, you're a sex addict. Not exactly the maternal type. At least any court would think…"

"Save it. I don't want this baby to have to take care of forever. You're right about that. I'm no mommy dearest.

If that's what you're getting at. I expect to be compensated. But on my terms. You and Betty cheated me out of my magazine. You ruined my career that I worked so hard to get. I'll contact you in a few days to let you know exactly what I want. Don't worry. I'll find you.

But you'd better tell your little Betty to watch her back, or she'll have to hide out, just like me." Daniel looked at the phone, puzzled, but it had disconnected.

"What the hell?" he shook his head at Betty.

"She hung up. I think she's high or something. She's making no sense at all. She did say she doesn't even want a baby, though.

I think that conversation was recorded. That just lost her any possibly custody rights she might have if it comes to that."

Betty looked at him, "You think it is your baby, don't you, Daniel?"

"I don't know. She's acting so crazy, Betty. God, I hope not. But I'm trying to prepare myself, just in case, you know? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I hate that if for some reason she is carrying my child, that I would still want it. Does that make you mad?

I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I hate her, but I could never hate a child I fathered, even with her."

Betty held his face in her hands, "No, of course not, Daniel. I don't blame you. I think it's wonderful that you're responsible enough to want to know for sure and would want to raise the child.

I love you all the more for it. I just don't want her using it to get you back, that's all."

He held her and made her look at him, "Listen to me, Betty. I don't care if the woman had six babies, I'd love the babies, but I would and could never feel anything but contempt for her, okay? You have nothing to be jealous of, from her or any goofy ex-employees, either.

I'm yours. I think I just proved how much I want you. I mean, believe it or not, even I have never actually had sex in an office here during working hours. I usually can at least wait till the end of the day!" he smiled.

"Don't try to pull your charming routine on me, again, Daniel. You got me once with that. I'm off limits until the end of the day, at least." She finished tucking her shirt back into her skirt.

"I didn't mean it like that, Betty. I can wait. I guess." He laughed.


	31. Chapter 31 Motherly Advice

**Chapter 31 Motherly Advice**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its' characters!_

* * *

Betty was acting very strangely this evening. Daniel couldn't decide if she had been drinking or if someone had slipped her something at the bar while they were waiting to be seated at Masa's.

She kept flirting with the waiter and pretty much everyone that came by the table. Daniel was trying to decide if he needed to just take her home.

"Betty! What the hell is the matter with you tonight? Why are you talking like that to every guy that comes by? I've never seen you act this way before. You're acting like you're high or something. Are you okay?"

"I feel _great_, Daniel!" She leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered a bit too loudly, "Let's go have sex in the bathroom!"

He looked around, "Are you serious? Here? I…don't know, Betty. The men's or the ladies? It's Friday night. It's pretty crowded.

I don't think it's such a great idea here. I'm normally up for it, but can't you just wait till we get home, honey?"

She pulled on his arm, "Come on. Let's go in the women's. It's fancy. Gross, I don't want to go in the men's room."

"I don't know, Betty. I still think it's a little too crowded tonight. How about the coat room? That might be a little less likely to have so many people coming in and out."

She nodded, grinning, and pulled him up behind her, putting her finger to her lips and giggling. Daniel grinned at her, shaking his head, and thinking she must surely be drunk, to be acting so silly, but who was he to complain, if she was up for it?

He followed her to the coat room and she continued pulling his arm to follow her. She was practically running. He laughed to see her so anxious.

The minute they got to the coat room, she shut the door and pushed Daniel against it forcefully and started trying to unbutton his shirt, but became frustrated quickly. He did it for her, "I got it, Betty. Wow, you're sure in a hurry!

Not that I'm complaining, but I've just never seen you so…" she pulled him down to her by his collar, kissing him hard on the mouth and finishing taking off his shirt, then pulled at his pants, and started pulling off her own dress over her head. Daniel grinned, somewhat surprised and thrown by her haste.

He chuckled at her enthusiastic kisses and the way she ran her hands all over him. She even did a little dance with his tie, once she took it off him. She sexily started unzipping his pants, and became frustrated when she couldn't get them down quickly.

"Damn, Betty! You sure are um excited tonight! Are you…" She pulled him down again and as he inhaled her neck, he became every bit as eager to have her as she was for him. "God, Betty, you smell fantastic! You're so sexy, baby. I want you so bad."

She whispered huskily, "Less talk, more action, Meade! Get those pants off, now!"

He laughed at first and started to comply, but he suddenly looked at her, grabbing her by the shoulders and staring into her pupils, "Betty, listen, I'm seriously kind of worried about you, honey.

Are you sure someone didn't slip you something at the bar? Did you leave your drink unattended or something?

Your eyes are really glassy. Look, as much as I'm flattered by the attention and I'm absolutely tempted to go along with this, I'm even more concerned about you. You are NOT acting normal.

Come on, we're going to the hospital and I'm having you checked out. Now! It pains me to say this, believe me, but get your clothes back _on_, sweetie."

Sure enough, once he finally got Betty together enough to get out of the restaurant and to the hospital to get checked out, they discovered she had been drugged. Daniel had called her family and everyone was there, all speculating who could have tried to drug Betty.

Sofia was at the top of the list, but since no one knew where she was, it was difficult to determine when or how the drug may have been given to her. Then, Betty had a thought and asked the doctor,

"Would it have to be ingested, or could it be something on my skin? What about perfume? Daniel, that perfume your mom gave me? I just started using that."

"Yeah, that stuff was definitely intoxicating. It really messed me up just smelling it on you. But, I thought that was just…you. It kind of made me want to…uh it was really hard to resist you."

He reddened, suddenly painfully aware that Betty's father was sitting right there, worried about his daughter and probably didn't really want to hear how he had barely been able to keep himself from ravishing his daughter, while she was under the influence of some strange drug.

The doctor scratched his head a bit but conceded that the perfume could indeed be the source of Betty's altered state.

She had now come off the effects and seemed highly paranoid and concerned about her actions. It seemed she had hit on just about every man at Mode as well as the restaurant that day, (including Marc!).

He had just rounded the corner and Betty came up to him, high from the perfume and wrapped her arms around him, cooing, "Ooh, marc-ie, my secret BOYFRIEND! I know you're gay, but you're a really good kisser, did you know that?"

"Well, yes, of course I do, Betty, but what…"

She grabbed him and kissed him hard on the mouth, leaving him speechless as she whispered, "I'll always be your little chimi-changa, right Mark-ie poo?" and left him with a shocked expression.

Once the perfume had been analyzed, Marc reluctantly admitted to finding a diary written by Fey Sommers that implicated her in trying to poison Claire through the perfume (a gift from Bradford years ago).

It was determined that had been the cause of Claire's temporary insanity and was enough of a 'shadow of doubt' for her jury!

Once free, she was welcomed back by Daniel, Alexis, Betty and her family, as well as many well-wishers at Mode.

For Claire, it was a bittersweet re-union with friends and family, knowing she was now a widow of the man she had loved her whole adult life.

She was determined not to return to alcohol for comfort, however, and looked for constructive uses for her time. She hit on an idea for a new magazine. One for women of her own age, called 'Hot Flash'.

Daniel and Alexis were somewhat horrified. Wilhelmina was amused and lost no opportunity to ridicule the magazine. Alexis, as the business voice of reason within the company, tried to dissuade her mother from the project, citing startup costs of launching a new magazine in an extremely hostile economy.

But after a pep talk from Betty, Claire dug her heels in, and got resourceful; hiring a staff of former convicts she had met in prison. These were women who needed a second chance and were willing to work for much less pay.

It was a match made in purgatory, but it somehow worked, and her little menopausal project started turning a decent profit.

Claire had seemingly stumbled onto a highly untapped demographic; women of a certain (her) age, who didn't want to be counted out just yet. Daniel, Alexis, and especially Betty couldn't help but be proud of her tenacity and come back spirit.

"Mrs. Meade, you are really an inspiration to women, you know that, right? Look at what you've had to endure, and yet, you've somehow managed to turn all the terrible things that happened to you into merely a bookmark, and you've really come out on top.

You're sober now, you've been exonerated, your magazine is a success. We're all so proud of you!"

Claire beamed with pride and gratitude at Betty's acknowledgement of her accomplishments, "Thank you, Betty. There's one more thing that might make my life complete, you know."

"What's that?"

"Well, aside from grandchildren, of course. But I can wait for those. I'd love to see both my children happy with someone they love. I think Daniel is well on his way with you.

I just hope he realizes how lucky he is and proposes to you soon."

Betty blushed, "_**Proposes**_! Oh, I don't know, Mrs. Meade…I don't really think Daniel and I are quite there, yet. I mean, things are going really well, but…I wouldn't want to rush him."

"First of all, it's Claire, remember? And rush, schmush, Betty. Daniel isn't a child anymore. Neither are you, dear. I really hope neither of you ever takes your love for granted.

As I'm living proof of, it can be taken from you in an instant! So cherish it while you have it, Betty! Be grateful for every second you have together with the one you love. Because you never know when it could be your last!"

Betty tried to comprehend the older woman's counsel, and not be frightened by it, but to simply see the wisdom intended in her words. She turned to Daniel and whispered, "Daniel. Are you really happy with me?"

He opened his eyes, half sleeping, "Yeah! Why aren't you happy, Betty?" He seemed to be waking, concerned by her question.

"Yes, I'm the happiest I've ever been right now. I was just thinking about something your mom said.

She was talking about losing your dad and how she wished she had realized how lucky she was to have him while he was here. She was saying you and I should be grateful we have found each other and not take each other for granted."

She didn't want to mention the proposal part of Claire's advice, however. She was wondering if the Meade matriarch had already shared similar words of advice with her son, somehow planting ideas in his head.

She had noticed Daniel being particularly attentive lately, as if he were testing the waters to see if Betty were so inclined.

"Yeah, she uh…said something like that to me the other day, too, Betty. She even encouraged me to 'seize the day' with you and not let any grass grow under my feet, I don't know, I lost track of all the little platitudes she threw at me.

I think what it boils down to is she basically wants some grandkids!" he laughed softly, hoping to lighten the mood.

Betty laughed, too, but wondered if she would actually be the mother of those grandchildren in Claire's little scenario. Or perhaps she was alluding to the Sofia situation?

Betty hadn't really considered that aspect of Claire's talk, but now she found herself wondering if the woman was already preparing herself for the possibility that she could indeed soon be a grandmother.

Indeed, Claire had given Daniel her engagement ring to give to Betty 'if he should feel so inclined' she had encouraged him, with similar warnings not to wait and waste time when it came to love. He had started wondering if Betty and he were ready for such a commitment. They had been together for almost six months now and things had been going extremely well. He realized their age difference made marriage seem less of a leap for him, even though he had previously been the 'lost boy' before he had started dating Betty.

But still, he contemplated actually being married to Betty, waking up next to her every day, like they had been recently, as she had spent more time sleeping over. How could that be a bad thing? Maybe his mom was right. Maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea.

They both seemed to be deep in thought, but Daniel kissed her lightly on the cheek, "I was actually thinking about something, Betty. Do you think it would really be such a crazy idea for us to…" Betty got a strange look on her face and put up a finger, "Sorry! Daniel I need to…" she ran out of the bedroom and bolted for the bathroom, making it just in time to throw up.

He looked at her strangely, and said to himself, "Great! It figures! I get ready to tell a woman I love her and I want to marry her and she throws up!"


	32. Chapter 32 Revelations and Reservations

**Chapter 32: Revelations and Reservations**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or its' characters!_

* * *

After several minutes, Daniel appeared in the doorway, "Betty, honey, are you okay? Do you need me to get you something? Or take you to the doctor?"

"Actually, I might need you to go to the pharmacy and get a pregnancy test, Daniel. I'm late."

"Seriously? I kind of wondered when I heard you throwing up, but…I figured you would have told me before. How late?"

"Three weeks, I guess. I just sort of forgot, I've been so busy with the magazine and everything that's been going on lately, with your dad, and I didn't think about it. Are you upset?" She splashed off her face in the sink and looked at him apprehensively.

His eyes were wide and excited, "Are you kidding? No way, Betty! I think it's great! Are YOU upset? I guess a baby would kind of mess up your plans for a career right now, huh?"

"Well, not necessarily. Maybe a little delay. I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it, though. It's definitely a big surprise."

"The only thing is…"

"What? You ARE upset. I KNEW it!" She looked panic-stricken.

He held her by her shoulders, and looked down at her gently. "No! Betty, listen, honey, I'm NOT upset, at all, believe me. I'm happy. I kind of had some special plans for tonight and I'm wondering if you'll feel up to them, that's all. Should I call and postpone until you're feeling better?"

"No! That's so sweet. Of course not. I just need some crackers and gingerale or something. I'll be fine. Special plans, huh? Okay. Now you've got me curious. What should I wear?"

"Get Christine to help you find something kind of nice. That's all I'm telling you, Betty." He grinned.

"Okay." She smiled.

He suddenly remembered her earlier request, "Oh, so…you need a test, right? Maybe I can get the pharmacy to deliver it. I don't really want to get spotted by some nosey paparazzi buying a pregnancy test, unless you want everybody to know right now."

"Good idea, Daniel. I forgot I was dating a celebrity!" She teased.

"Okay, smarty pants. I'll be right back. Let me make a call. Are you sure you're okay? I'll ask them to send some crackers. I think I have soda, though. Hold on, sweetie, I'll get it for you. Why don't you go lie down?" He left for a few minutes and came back with ginger ale and bread.

"The pharmacy is sending the test and some more soda and crackers, Betty. This is all I had here. Are you feeling any better?"

"Since the last five minutes you asked, not really, Daniel." She laughed. "I'll be okay. Just try to calm down. We don't know anything yet, so there's no reason to get all worked up."

"No, I guess you're right. But, if you are…what do you want to do about work?"

"I'd work until I couldn't, I suppose. Why? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I was just thinking, we might want to get a bigger place, you know for like a nursery. This is no place for a baby."

"Well, no, but since when am I moving in with you?"

"Since you're having my baby."

"I don't know that I AM having your baby, Daniel. Let's WAIT and see before you go moving us."  
"I don't see what would be so wrong with us getting a place together, regardless if you're pregnant or not, Betty. We do love each other, right?"

"Of course."

"Okay, then. So, it's settled. I'll tell my realtor to show us some places that have what three bedrooms?"

Her eyes grew big, "Three? Are you, I and the baby all getting our own rooms?"

He laughed, "No, silly. But we might want grandparents to come visit or something."

"Wow, you are REALLY getting ahead of yourself here, Daniel."

He put his arm around her and kissed her neck, "I know. I'm sorry. I tend to do that sometimes, Betty. But it's just because I'm so excited about maybe being a daddy, you know?"

She smiled, "Well, that's very good to hear, Daniel. Because I can't think of a better man to be a daddy than you. You're going to be a fantastic dad." She paused, "Maybe." He grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Spoilsport."

"I just don't want to get your hopes up until we know for sure."

"Too late for that, Betty. The minute you said there is a possibility, you know my mind is in overdrive, thinking about all the scenarios."

"I know, Daniel. It's one of the many things I love about you. How spontaneous and amazingly sweet and kind you are. How anxious you are to have a baby. Where did this sudden desire to procreate come from, anyway?" She sat up on the bed, with her back against the headboard. Daniel sat on the edge, next to her.

He shrugged. "I think since my dad died. I kind of have been dreading thinking about the thing with Sofia, you know. But then, the more I put her out of the equation, the having a kid part started seeming kind of cool. So, having one with the woman I love sounds perfect!"

"But, what if you end up getting two? Just with different mommies?"

He took a breath, "Well, I'll deal with that if I have to, I guess. My money is still on her being full of it, though. We haven't heard anything in a week or so from her, since that time she called at your office. Who knows, maybe she disappeared off the planet. Good riddance!"

"I still don't know if I would count her out of the picture yet, Daniel."

"Betty, can't we just enjoy the idea of you and me being parents without letting Miss Raincloud spoil it?"

She giggled, "I'm sorry. Miss Raincloud?"

"Whatever. She's a bitch. I don't want to even think about her. Especially not when I'm so happy thinking about you and little uh…crap, we'll have to think of a name, huh?"

"Well, we could just call him baby Meade, but that might cause him to get made fun of at school eventually, so…yeah. We would have nine months to decide, though, you know, so let's not get ahead of ourselves on that, too!"

He laughed, "Okay, sorry. Hey, I know what we could do while we're waiting."

"Daniel! We're not doing that! What if the delivery guy comes?"

"No, silly. I mean, well, I'd actually always be up for that, but I just was going to say we could talk to the realtor together and see what's available, maybe look online to see what catches our eye. What do you think?"

"I think you're the most impulsive man I ever met, Daniel! I guess having money makes you even more into instant gratification." she laughed. "Fine, that sounds great!"

"Hey, are you making fun of me?"

"No. I think you're adorable, Daniel. Call your realtor and we'll go online and see what places she tells us are available."

"Great!" Betty thought he sounded like a little boy, he was so enthusiastic.

They were looking at several townhomes in the area when the buzzer rang. Betty started to get up, but Daniel frowned and shook his head, telling his realtor on the phone, "I've got someone at the door now, Sharon. I'll have to get back to you. Thanks for your help. Betty, just stay here. I'll be right back."

He opened the door, to see Marc and Amanda standing, holding a box with all the things he had ordered from the pharmacy. "Hmmm….Daniel, Daniel. What HAVE you been up to? Ordering home pregnancy tests, huh? Well, I don't think this is for you, so who could possibly be pregnant?"

Daniel grabbed the box away from Marc. "This is none of your business! What the hell are you two even doing here, anyway?"  
"Betty and I were supposed to go look at apartments like an hour ago, that's what!" Amanda huffed and came into Daniel's apartment. "Oh, wow, how cute, Daniel.

You got rid of the huge mural, I see. What Betty didn't like seeing a woman on the wall while you two were doing the horizontal mambo?"

"Amanda, please get out. I'll tell Betty you came by, okay? Marc. Never a pleasure. Give Wilhelmina my…nothing, actually. Since I have no regards for her. Just go fly to the wicked witch of the west, little flying monkey."

"Hey, don't be such a spoiled rich boy, Daniel! Willi may tell me what to do and how far to jump during the week, but I have my own life, too. I was honestly curious to see how things are going with you and my little chimi-changa.

You do know she sexually assaulted me the other day and told me what a good kisser I was?" he grinned.

"She was drugged, you idiot! And stop calling her that! She isn't YOUR anything, okay? You just stay away from Betty."

Betty came in from the bedroom, "Daniel, please. I can fight my own battles, honey. Besides, Marc-ie Marc was only teasing, right pooky?"

Amanda laughed riotously as Marc breathed heavily and used his inhaler, while Betty draped her arm around him and traced his cheek with her finger seductively.

Daniel laughed, "Okay. Sorry, Betty. I should have known you had everything under control with Marc here. Amanda, I don't think Betty will be able to be your roommate after all, though. Maybe you and Marc should consider moving in together?"

"Why?" Amanda looked surprised.

Betty and Daniel grabbed hands, grinning, "We're moving in together." Daniel beamed proudly.

"Seriously? Daniel, you're giving up your bachelor pad?"

"Yep."

"Are you really pregnant, Betty?" Amanda asked, her eyes big as saucers.

Betty grabbed the test and headed into the bathroom. "Well, there's only one way to find out! I'll let you know as soon as I do!"

Daniel went into the kitchen to pour himself a Scotch. He offered Marc and Amanda one, too. "Is it too early to drink?"

"Not in this circumstance!" Marc eagerly grabbed it, making a face while drinking it, but slugging it down, nonetheless.

Amanda, too, drank hers quickly. "Wow! Betty, a mom! That's so crazy! Daniel, are you okay with this?"

He grinned, "Yeah! Listen, I know you two can't keep a secret, but you have to keep this one, okay?"

They both pantomimed 'zipped' lips. Daniel glared at Marc, "You had BETTER not go blabbing to Wilhelmina, either Marc! This has nothing to do with Mode, okay? This is my private business and only concerns Betty and me, so she has NO reason to need to know this!"

"Honest to Prada, Daniel! I'll take it to my grave. Although, you know, this isn't exactly something you can hide forever. Even with Betty's fluffier body type, people will eventually notice!"

"You're such an ass, Marc! I mean it, if you insult my fiancée one more time, I'm going to neuter you!"

"Fiancee! What?" Marc practically squeaked.

"Shit!" Daniel realized what he had done. He grabbed Marc and pulled him and Amanda into the hallway. Both of them looked in shock.

Amanda whispered, "Daniel, did you propose to Betty? Because you knocked her up?"

"NO! Listen. I swear, neither of you will EVER be able to find a job unless you join the witness protection program if I get an inkling that you leaked it to the press, or 'Willi' or ANYONE, are we CLEAR?"

"Yes! YES!" They both cried eagerly, anxious to hear the gossip.

Marc smiled, "So, what's up, Daniel?"

"I had already planned to propose to Betty tonight BEFORE she told me she might be pregnant, okay? But that's all I'm giving you and since I don't know if she's pregnant and I don't know if she'll say yes, I had BETTER not get wind you two shot off your big mouths about either situation, right?"

"RIGHT, RIGHT, Daniel. Absolutely!"

Betty walked out and was holding the stick in her hand. "Guys? Where is everybody?"

Daniel shoved them out the door. "GO! Get out of here. You'll know tomorrow!" He hurried back inside. "I was just getting rid of twiddle Dee and tweedle dumb dumb. So?" He looked at her expectantly.

She nodded her head, "Yes! Daniel, we're having a baby!" He ran to her and hugged her. "Awesome!"

Marc and Amanda were both glued to the other side of the door, and as Daniel opened it, they fell on the floor. "Well, well! Look who's here?" he laughed.


	33. Chapter 33 A Family Affair to Remember

**Chapter 33: A Family Affair to Remember**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or any of its characters!_

* * *

"Hello, Molly. It's nice to meet you." Betty choked, trying to ignore the feeling of panic she felt at meeting the woman who literally haunted her dreams quite frequently.

The woman who in her 'other reality' Daniel had married and mourned. Her competition for his heart.

The woman seemed very pleasant. She was waiting for Connor Owens, her fiancée. He was simply having lunch with his old friend, Daniel.

Daniel had heeded Betty's warning about not going into business with Connor, simply based on her impassioned pleas about 'impending financial doom' associated with the man, but he drew the line at simply a friendly talk between old college friends.

Betty knew Daniel was impressed by Connor. She had seen in her dreams how Connor used Daniel's admiration of him to gain his trust. Then again, she wondered if Connor had been simply driven to some sort of maniacal rage over the loss of Molly to Daniel in those dreams.

Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy? Maybe it was just Daniel taking Molly away from him that had turned this seemingly charming and pleasant man to crime?

After all, as Molly chatted with Betty, while she waited for her boyfriend, she learned that Connor had helped her through her latest health scare, had stood by her and supported her.

'That said a lot about someone, didn't it?' Betty thought. After about twenty minutes, Connor emerged from the conference room, shaking Daniel's hand, "Damn good to see you again, Daniel! Thanks for the recommendation. You don't know what it means to me."

"Yeah, thanks again for the information, too, Connor. This must be your fiancée you've been bragging about. Hello, Molly. Connor's been telling me all about you.

It's nice to meet you." Betty watched in horror as Daniel shook Molly's hand and smiled at her. He turned and winked at Betty.

"This is my girlfriend, Betty. We just got some great news today. I hope you don't mind my bragging honey, since Connor and Molly don't work at Mode. But, we just found out we're expecting a baby!" Daniel beamed proudly at her.

She blushed slightly, at the thought that she and Daniel weren't married or even engaged, and yet were having a child together, but Connor and Molly were both so kind, she soon forgot about her discomfort over the situation.

Molly hugged her, "Oh, Betty, that's wonderful news! Why didn't you tell me? I'm so happy for you guys! I work with kids all day and they're such a blessing in my life. I wish you both all the happiness in the world!"

Connor, too, hugged her and patted Daniel on the back, "Congratulations, you, two! That's fantastic news! I'm sure you'll both be great parents! Betty, it's nice to see you again. I think you forgot me, but I met you once before at a meeting. You seemed really busy, running around. I think it was during Fashion Week."

Betty honestly didn't remember having met him, which surprised her, since she had a great memory for people she had met and Connor had been one of the 'villains' in her 'fantasy world'. "I'm surprised I didn't remember meeting someone like you, Connor. You are such a memorable guy! Thank you, by the way. Daniel and I are both really happy."

Just as they were about to say goodbye, Marc and Wilhelmina walked up. "Hello, Daniel. Betty. Who do we have here?"

She seemed to be checking Connor out slightly, Betty thought, somewhat amused.

Daniel smirked somewhat, as he, too, seemed to notice the woman staring at Connor, "Wilhelmina Slater, this is an old friend of mine, Connor Owens, and his fiancée, Molly. This is the famous Wilhelmina Slater, our Creative Director, extraordinaire." Betty almost choked a laugh at that last part. Daniel seemed to be throwing her title in her face.

Surprisingly, the woman didn't glare at Daniel. She seemed to have eyes only for Connor, as she extended her hand gently and smiled the biggest smile Betty had ever seen from the woman.

"Charmed, I'm sure. I hope Daniel here has been giving you two the tour of Mode."

Molly piped up, seemingly oblivious to Wilhelmina's fascination with her fiancée. "Betty and Daniel were just telling us their good news! About the baby! Isn't it wonderful?"

Wilhelmina's eyes snapped to Betty then smiled, "Yes, it's wonderful news! Betty's such a little go-getter. I know she and Daniel will be very involved parents. I don't think I've had a chance to congratulate them yet."

She patted Betty on the back and kissed Daniel on the cheek. She did a good job of seeming genuine. So much so that Betty imagined poor Molly must think the woman was actually sincere.

"Well, it was lovely to have met you both. I'm sorry to intrude, but Daniel, we have a bit of an Editor-in-Chief emergency, I'm afraid. Can I steal you away for a moment?

I promise I'll return our fearless leader as soon as possible, everyone. Marc! Do you have those proofs to show Daniel on the fiasco that the latest photographer has caused?"

Daniel led Marc and Wilhelmina into his office, excusing himself, "Sorry, guys. I'll be out in a minute."

Wilhelmina smiled again, eyeing Connor appreciatively to the point that he caught her glance and blushed. "Yes, I promise, I'll be done stealing Daniel away very quickly. Just one quick second of his time."

"That's fine. Keep him as long as you like, Miss Slater. We're done with him!" Connor joked, smiling at her somewhat flirtatiously and winking.

She caught his glance and actually grinned back. Betty felt like she was watching one of her papi's telenovellas! She found herself feeling sorry for Molly, who seemed totally clueless to the flirting going on between the 'evil one' as Daniel called Wilhelmina and her fiancée.

Strange, but she no longer felt the fear and anxiety she had over Daniel meeting Molly now that it had actually happened. For the moment, she was trying to figure out how to handle the fact that Molly had let slip their 'news' to Wilhelmina.

Marc actually looked at her somewhat sympathetically when the bomb had been dropped. But as he had said back at Daniel's apartment earlier, it wasn't like she and Daniel could hope to keep news like this a secret. She would start showing eventually and the cat would be out of the bag anyway.

Connor looked back at the office, Betty noticed, checking out Wilhelmina. He cleared his throat and looked down at Molly, seeming somewhat sad.

"We'd better go, Molly. We have that appointment for you. Daniel was kind enough to recommend a specialist for Molly that we're going to see right now."

Molly seemed less than thrilled. "I told you, Connor. I really don't want to be poked and prodded anymore."

He looked at her with obvious love and concern, "I don't care. You're GOING to see the man and we're going to get you better.

That's the end of it! I'm not taking no for an answer. I know you're scared, and so am I. But we got through the last time and we'll get through this one."

Betty was amazed at his apparent concern for her welfare. This couldn't be the monster she had dreamt of, could it? She could tell he was actually drawn to Wilhelmina, but he also obviously cared deeply for Molly.

Connor smiled and patted Betty on the back, "Good bye, Betty. Nice seeing you again. Congratulations."

Molly smiled weakly and hugged her again, "I'm SO happy for you two. Good luck."

"Thank you, Molly. You, too. I hope everything works out with your new doctor."

She nodded as they left. As soon as Daniel, Marc and Wilhelmina had come back out of the office, Wilhelmina looked somewhat upset, "They left?"

Betty nodded, smiling and feeling something close to sympathy for the woman. "Yes. They had an appointment. They both said how nice it was to meet you, though." She smiled at Wilhelmina, who caught Betty's meaning, aware that she had shown how much Connor had affected her.

The older woman took a deep breath and literally looked down her nose at Betty. "Well, I suppose you'll be needing to look for haute couture maternity wear, soon, Betty. Well done, getting Daniel.

I suppose he's easily 'gotten' for someone like you. Have either of you heard anything more from that Reyes woman? I don't imagine Claire will be too happy if Daniel's giving her double cause to be called 'Granny Meade'."

She smiled her fake smile that Betty knew so well and turned on her heel, with Marc starting to follow.

He hesitated and stage whispered, "Did you see the fireworks between her and that Australian hunk? I almost got burned from standing too close!"

Betty smiled and nodded, "Yes, actually, I did notice that. Poor Molly!"

Marc shrugged, "Well, if I know Willi, and sadly I do, I don't imagine that will be the last we'll be seeing of that man. Whatever Willi wants, Willi usually gets, you know! Oh, sorry the little schoolmarm spilled the beans about your little Meade bundle to be, Betty. I didn't say a word, honest to Gucci!" He shrugged. "I know, secrets have a way of coming out around here, though. I tried to warn you two."

Betty nodded. Wilhelmina screamed from the tube, "MARC!" She giggled, "You'd better go, Marc. Your master wants you."

Marc rolled his eyes, "Coming, Willi!" he yelled and smiled briefly at Betty.

She laughed. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad, she thought. He just had a terrible boss he felt he had to please. Daniel stood in the doorway, watching her with a smirk,

"So, did you see Wilhelmina checking out Connor? That was funny as hell. She could hardly form complete sentences in there. Marc had to interpret for her."

Betty smiled, and hugged him tightly around the waist, "I'm just glad I didn't see those looks between you and his fiancée."

He pouted, then grinned boyishly, "Oh, yeah. THAT was the one you dreamt I stole from Connor and married, right? I forgot."

"You did not, Daniel. You knew very well it was Molly I dreamt about. So? Any sparks?"

"Yeah. Actually I feel a lot of sparks, Betty."

"Really?" she looked upset. He pulled her tight, "For you, you crazy woman! Now, come on, let's get out of here before someone else interrupts us. I've got big plans for us tonight, my little mommy."

"I guess our secret's out, now."

"Yeah, my would-be wife sure has a big mouth."

"PLEASE don't call her that!"

He laughed, "Sorry, just kidding, honey. And I want you to know, he didn't say anything about wanting a job here and I didn't offer. He just told me about some good areas where we might want to look at real estate when I told him we were moving to a bigger place."

"Connor seems really concerned about Molly's health and even though he obviously noticed Wilhelmina staring him down, he still seems pretty devoted to Molly."

Daniel shrugged, "Yeah. I guess so. Listen, Betty, I know you think your dreams are these big prophecies or whatever, honey, but honestly, I didn't really get any voodoo-ey vibes off him, did you?

I will not put him in charge of anything and that's probably the last I'll see him or her, so you definitely don't need to be jealous I'm going to fall in love with Molly, okay? She's too late. My heart's already spoken for. I'm in love with you, Betty. It's always been you and it always will be."

He put his arm around her as they headed

out to their waiting town car.

Concerns about Molly and Connor quickly faded as Daniel leaned forward, kissing her neck and face the minute they got in, then held her face in his hands, "You know how much I love you, right, Betty? I'm nuts about you."

She nodded, "I love you, too, Daniel. I'm really glad you're happy about the baby. You don't think I tried to trap you or something?"

He pulled away slightly, looking at her with concern, "Trap me? Who said anything about that? Did that Molly say that? Don't listen to her, Betty.

She seems kind of dumb to me. She didn't even catch on to Connor and Wilhelmina's little love fest right in front of her eyes earlier."

"No, it wasn't her. Wilhelmina told me, 'well done 'getting you' or whatever and said I was…"

He shook his head and started kissing her softly, as he slid his hands down from her shoulders to her arms, "Betty, NEVER listen to THAT woman, okay?

She's an evil bitch and she's just jealous of you because you're smarter and more beautiful than her, that's all. She'd say anything to try and bring you down to her level. Ignore her. I do. I even think Marc is starting to be on our side."

"I got that from him, too." She said in between kisses. Daniel was making it hard for her to focus on anything but him and his mouth right now. She sighed, and gave in, kissing him and enjoying the ride to the restaurant.

She looked up when the car stopped, somewhat disoriented with arousal. "Where are we?" She asked Daniel. He, too, seemed out of it, wrapped up in a haze of desire for her.

"Huh? Oh, it's the 21 Club. We're at the top. I got us a private room. It's kind of old school. I thought you might like it." Actually, he had spoken to Justin and learned it was the place where Humphrey Bogart had proposed to Lauren Bacall. Of course, Betty knew that. She smiled, looking at Daniel with some suspicion and blushing.

Out loud, she merely said, "Oh. That sounds nice, Daniel." He helped her out of the car and led her to the exclusive top floor.

After dinner, he held Betty's hand rubbing his thumb across it, seemingly lost in thought. She smiled, and put her other hand on top of his, "Something on your mind, Daniel?"

He nodded, "Yeah, Betty. I'm trying to figure out the perfect thing to say here. I thought I had this all planned out, but the news about the baby has me thinking maybe I'm going about this all wrong. Do you love me?"

"Yes." She was somewhat thrown by his blunt question, but looked at him meaningfully as she thought of all that implied.

He grinned, "Wow, you didn't hesitate, did you? I like that. I love you, too, Betty. I didn't really know how much until this morning, after meeting Molly and Connor."

"Molly…" she looked at him, puzzled.

"Yeah, you had me so freaked out about meeting her that I was honestly a little afraid I'd be attracted to her or something, which would have definitely messed with my plans for tonight."

"But do you know what I honestly felt? I thought about what you told me and what Connor told me about her cancer. I felt sympathy for her and him having to deal with that. But then I started worrying about you and the baby. I started having this pain, and felt like I couldn't breathe, thinking what would I do, if I were in his shoes, worried about you.

It freaked me out at first. I've never been that unselfish before. But I could see it in Connor's eyes. Maybe he was attracted to Wilhelmina, but he's in love with Molly. She's the one he is really concerned about. The one he'd do anything for. I got him a really great doctor that my mom told me about, so that's why he was so grateful to me.

I wouldn't know what to do if anything bad like that ever happened to you, Betty. I started realizing, I'm going to have to start worrying about somebody besides myself now. But I love you and I already am crazy about our baby, too. So, it's too late to go back to the way I was before, being the selfish jerk who only cares about his own needs.

I sort of felt like I understood better why in your little dream Connor would get so pissed off at me getting in his way with Molly. I would go crazy if someone ever tried to break us up, too.

I don't know exactly how, but I lucked out to get you to love me, so I feel right now that I'm seriously the luckiest guy on the planet, Betty. You've shown me how money, fame, and all the superficial glamour crap means nothing in comparison to family and love.

I don't ever want to lose your love. I don't ever want to go back to being the spoiled playboy. You've made me see I can be so much better than that. I love the way you believe in me. It makes me feel like I can do anything."

He got on one knee, and taking out a small box, "Betty, honey, will you marry me? And make me even happier?"

She nodded, unable to speak at first; she was so overwhelmed at his declaration to her. He got up and kissed her, putting the beautiful ring on her shaking finger. She looked at and smiled, then kissed him, "The embrace?"

He grinned. "You know your rings, huh? You have been hanging around Amanda too much, Betty."

She rolled her eyes, "Daniel, I am a girl. All girls in New York know Tiffany's. I love this setting. How did you know?"

"I have spies at your house, Betty." He smirked, "Hilda and Justin, of course. And actually, Amanda and her big mouth. She said something once to Marc that I overheard about you liking this ring. Hilda helped with the size. Plus, I had to ask your dad for his blessing. So, he kind of knew, too.

Justin knew you had said this was where Bogie asked Bacall to marry him and thought that was really romantic. My mom helped with the reservations. She knows the head chef. Hell, even Alexis was on board, once I told her about it. She really likes you, too.

I guess you'd have to say this was a family affair. I want you to know, this has nothing to do with the baby, Betty. I have been planning this for over a month. So please, don't think for a minute I feel obligated because you're pregnant. I love you. I want us to be together. The fact that we're going to be a family is just icing on the cake." He kissed her hand and smiled.


	34. Chapter 34 The Door Slides Both Ways

**Chapter 34:**

_Disclaimer: I don't own characters of Ugly Betty!_

_Those of you that have seen the movie Sliding Doors or The Butterfly Effect have the advantage from now on in this story. The rest of you, be warned: your heart may be in for a shock! Fear not, though. _

* * *

Betty couldn't help smiling when she headed from her floor on MYW up to the familiar 28th floor of Mode. She never really bothered to take the elevator anyway, since 'Daniel's floor' was only one up from her own. But today she hesitated, thinking seriously about being lazy, rather than taking the stairs.

But she talked herself out of it. She headed to the stairs and found she had shoe trouble. She realized wearing heels was simply not going to work once she started to get bigger from the pregnancy. It made her smile to think about having Daniel's baby. She knew how much he wanted a child and even though motherhood hadn't originally been in her own plans, she found herself changing her mind and rather enjoying the idea.

Especially now that they were getting married. She would soon be Mrs. Daniel Meade, and the mother of his baby. It was a lot to process for the former 'Ugly Betty'. As she looked at the elevators, she couldn't help but think about Dr. Frankl and how she had changed her life.

She really was like a fairy godmother in many ways, Betty thought. She often thought of her 'alternate reality dreams' or whatever they were. Whenever she fell under the anesthesia, it felt so real to her, the life she would have had, if she had kept her braces and glasses (although she still sometimes preferred to wear those).

Her life as Daniel's 'best friend' seemed happy, but very different. For one thing, that 'other Daniel' had remained a womanizer for quite some time. She had been on the outside, trying to help him change, but as 'just a friend' those changes seemed to take much longer for him. She had also remained his assistant much longer. She hadn't been nearly as close to Bradford before his death, or even Claire.

Betty had still called her 'Mrs. Meade' a lot and she had barely seemed to know Alexis. Yet now, in her own life since she had decided to make those first changes, so much had improved. Her life had been so different to start with; it amazed her how such seemingly small things at first had taken her in a completely altered direction.

She smiled, thinking about seeing Daniel. She had missed him, because he had left for an early morning meeting, so she couldn't wait to kiss him. She started past the 'donut' and Amanda was looking rather strange. "Hey, bestie! What's going on with you and Marc? Did you two find a place yet?"

Amanda was shoveling chocolates in her face like there was no tomorrow. Something she only did when she was really nervous or upset about something. "Betty! Oh, God! Hey, honey. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Amanda. You don't have to ask as if I'm giving birth every time you see me, you know! I'm only a month along. I won't even start to show for another four months at least! Where's Marc? In Willi's office? I have a really good story pitch I wanted to share with him. It's about different jobs in the city. Why are you looking at me like that? Hey, where is Daniel, anyway? I missed him this morning."

She looked so pathetic; Betty wanted to give her a hug. She felt bad about not moving in with her as they had originally planned, but Betty was so happy about the engagement and the baby, she hoped Amanda could share in her joy a little. She hated to see the girl so nervous and upset. Even though, for months, Amanda had always prefaced any friendly words they had exchanged with some snarky comment, such as "FYI, NONE of this means I like you" or "None of this means we're friends or anything!" they both knew that was exactly what it had meant.

Amanda had admitted to Betty that she had been jealous at first of her meteoric rise within the company, but she had won her over with her helpful advice and friendly manner. Even someone like Amanda needed a good girlfriend (other than Marc) and Betty had become that, in spite of their rocky start.

Marc was more career-driven than 'Mandy' and though he had some odd obsession with doing Willi's bidding, he, like Amanda, had seemed unable to resist Betty's sweetness and especially since the 'Mother incident' after which he had finally come out to his mother, he had been much friendlier to Betty, with still the witty barbs, he often found himself torn between his diva and his two girlfriends. He even had started showing more respect lately for Daniel, especially since Bradford's death, and the way Daniel had been handling things.

Now, though, Betty found herself worried about Amanda. What could possibly have the girl so worked up, she wondered? Then she saw. She turned to Daniel's office and saw through the 'fishbowl' He had company. Sofia Reyes was there. And she was hanging all over Daniel. He seemed at ease with her, too. He was laughing.

She was glued to the spot at first. She couldn't even form a sentence to ask Amanda what was going on. Finally, she managed, "When did…?"

Amanda didn't need the whole sentence to grasp what was going on in Betty's head. She was way ahead of her, "Charro got here about an hour ago. He was yelling at her at first, but now she seems to have won him over with some kind of crap! Betty…I'm so sorry! Daniel's an idiot if he's buying anything that woman is selling. Maybe he's just pretending to believe her or something."

Betty took a deep breath and walked to Daniel's office. The few steps never seemed to take so long. Yet, before she knew it, she was standing in his door. "Hello, Sofia. When did you get back?"

The woman smiled through narrowed eyes, "Hello, Bet-ty! Daniel tells me you two have lots to celebrate. Congratulations. On both the baby and your engagement. I'm sure you'll be very happy!"

"Really? What was all that on the phone about the other day, then? You didn't seem too happy that Daniel and I were together, then."

"Oh, I say, let bygones be bygones! I was just nervous, because I thought Daniel was having me followed. But it turns out; it was all a big misunderstanding!"

Betty looked at Daniel, "What did you promise her, Daniel?" she knew it must have been something huge for the woman to have changed her attitude so dramatically.

Sofia smiled and put her hand on Daniel's chest, "Once we have the test results, Daniel has agreed that I should have a third of Meade and run Mode UK, and you two can raise the baby. I'm a career gal. A child would only get in the way for me, I'm afraid."

"You SOLD your baby? What kind of woman are you? Who DOES that? And you agreed to that? Daniel, are you crazy? You're just going to give away a third of Meade to this woman? I can't believe it! How could you do that? What about our baby? You're giving away his future, too, you know! I don't even know you anymore!"

She couldn't keep the tears at bay much longer, but her anger got her out the door and headed past the donut, where Amanda continued to eat her weight in chocolate, glaring at Sofia, who simply smiled, smugly.

Daniel ran after her, "Betty, wait. Honey, let me explain."

"What's there to explain, Daniel? It seems pretty clear to me. You're convinced she's carrying your child and first come, first served, excuse the expression. Since you knocked her up before me, then evidently her baby gets more of the pie! That's just fine. Forget the fact that you proposed to me! Why don't you go to England with her and you two can be business partners, together!"

He pulled her to him, trying to get her to look at him, "Betty, I'm sorry you think that. But, that's not what's going on here, I promise you. You have to have a little faith in me, honey. I would never do that to you and our baby. I'm trying to think of the best solution.

First of all, she just got back, so we won't know about the tests for a while. I'm not going to just hand over ANYTHING until I know for sure it is my baby, okay? I'm not stupid! But if she is on my side, on OUR side against Wilhelmina, we can make sure SHE doesn't take over the business."

"What's the difference? One evil bitch or another still seems to be determined to work her way into the company. And you seem more than willing to just give it away to HER!

Why were you so chummy with her just now, Daniel? I thought you hated her, supposedly? It sure didn't seem that way to me. You two seemed more like old lovers, back on again just now.

And if she's going to become such a huge part of the company, you'll be with her all the time. I don't really know if I can trust you with her. You did fall for her charms before. Enough to conceive a child together. How do you know you won't fall for her again? How do I know you won't?"

"Because I love YOU, Betty! I shouldn't have to defend myself to you, of all people. I was just going along with her, pretending to laugh at her jokes about Wilhelmina and Marc. I wasn't kissing her or anything. I'm not allowed to laugh with another woman without you getting jealous, now? Come on, honey! Don't be ridiculous! I am not in love with Sofia, believe me. Far from it.

Look, I just sent off the test to the lab. Let me go get rid of her and we can have an early lunch. Just wait for me, okay? We'll talk. It's going to be fine. You'll see, sweetie. You're overreacting." He kissed her on the cheek, smiling weakly, as if he were unsure of her reaction.

Betty nodded slowly, but didn't smile back at him. She stood and waited for what seemed like an eternity. She turned away, not willing to see Daniel with THAT WOMAN. Her stomach was doing flip flops, and not in a good way.

She had felt sick when she woke up and this emotional roller coaster wasn't helping her feel any better. She leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes to try and get her equilibrium back.

After several minutes, she opened her eyes. She didn't see Daniel or Sofia in his office. She slowly walked back to Amanda's desk, fighting her dizziness.

"Where did Daniel go?"

She was still chewing a mouthful of chocolate, and had it on her fingers, as she pointed to the elevators, "He left with HER! Didn't you see them laughing and touching? Betty, are you alright, honey? You look kind of green. Should I call an ambulance or something? Do you need to lie down, honey?"

Betty shook her head and waved off Amanda, not wanting to be covered in chocolate. "I'm fine. I'm just having a little morning sickness, I guess. Daniel left-with Sofia? You're sure? Did he say when he was coming back?"

"No. He ignored me. I tried to ask him but he just gave me a weird look, like it wasn't my business or something. I don't know what's wrong with him! Betty, you really don't look good, are you sure you don't want me to call a doctor or something?"

"NO! I'm fine. Thanks, but I think I'm just going to go sit down in my office for a while. As soon as I'm feeling better, I've got some articles to edit. Tell Marc to call me when you see him, okay? And Daniel…well, I'll deal with Daniel."

"Okay, Betty. I'm sorry. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks."

She walked slowly to the staircase, taking her time.

Daniel returned to the donut and saw Amanda, practically covered in chocolate, "Where's Betty? She was right there! I told her to wait for me. Where did she go?"

"Where were you, Daniel? They had to take her to the hospital! She fell down the stairs. She was feeling really dizzy. Something you might have noticed if you hadn't been so busy mooning over Miss Mexico all morning!"

"What? Amanda, I wasn't mooning over Sofia. I was trying to….never mind. Listen, I'm going to the hospital to check on Betty. Text me with anything important and let Wilhelmina know she'll have to take my ten-thirty meeting with Marc Jacobs' people, okay? Oh, and tell my mom what happened with Betty."

"Fine! Now you're worried about her. It's about time, Romeo. You should have been more worried about Betty earlier. She was really upset about Sofia and you just pushed her away and ignored her. You'd better hope she's okay. Not to mention your little bambino."

"I am worried about Betty, Amanda. You don't know what you're talking about. I'm worried about the baby, too. Look, just do what I asked, okay? I'll be at the hospital."


	35. Chapter 35 When Everything Is Right w

**Chapter 35: **

**When Everything Is Right with the World**

Disclaimer: Don't own/don't' sue!

Daniel told his driver to run every red light to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. Daniel threw a hundred dollar bill and thanked him, then ran inside, his heart racing.

He had no idea what to expect. When he came to the desk, he tried to speak, but was slightly breathless, "Betty Suarez?"

"Are you family?"

"I'm her fiancé."

"I was wondering about that huge rock on her hand. Room three eleven. They just got her out of surgery."

"Surgery? Is her family here?"

"Not yet."

"Do you know or can you tell me what the surgery was for?"

"The baby."

His face went pale, "Is the baby…gone?" he felt a huge lump in his throat. They had been so happy at the idea of becoming parents.

Even though she hadn't seemed ready when he had mentioned them raising Sofia's child, Betty had started to get really excited about having her own child. And Daniel had been ecstatic. The thought that that might not happen now was almost too much to bear.

"I don't really know, sir. I'm sorry. As I said, they just got her out of surgery, so you'll have to ask at the nurse's station outside her room and see how things went. I know she took a big fall down those steps."

"I should have made her take the elevator. She only had to go down one floor; do you know how many stories she fell?"

"At least five or six perhaps, maybe more. Do you know which floor she was on to begin with?"

"The twenty-eighth."  
"Really? Oh, my! Then, she fell eight floors. They found her on the twentieth floor, I know."

Daniel had to sit down for a moment, just thinking about Betty, falling helplessly down that many floors, and he hadn't been there to help. He felt sick to his stomach. He thought to himself that Amanda had been right; he should have been paying more attention to Betty.

He should have noticed she was dizzy this morning and made her sit down and not left her alone.

He hated that Betty had seemed so insecure and jealous of Sofia. He knew there was no need for her jealousy, but how do you re-assure your fiancé that your pregnant ex-girlfriend isn't a threat when she may be carrying your baby?

The truth was Sofia had seemed so confident that Daniel was the father that she pretty much had him convinced. Enough so, that when she tried to blackmail him and threatened to go with the press, he had taken her somewhat seriously.

Alexis had actually helped, by facing down the woman on the phone, telling her, "Go ahead. But if you go to the press, I'm going to make sure they know you basically tried to sell Daniel your child!

**If** the test comes back positive, it's not like Daniel is trying to deny paternity his. He's offered to take the child and raise it without you.

And if he takes the baby but you still want him to give YOU money, that sounds a lot like you're selling the baby to me! I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me."

Daniel tried to focus and not spend any time worrying about Sofia or that mess. He just was praying that Betty and their baby were going to be alright.

He ran upstairs and went to the nurse's station, asking about Betty's surgery. "She told me downstairs that my fiancé just came out of surgery. She's pregnant. I want to know how both Betty and the baby are doing."

The nurse seemed patient and kind, "Of course, sir. Mr.?"

"Daniel Meade."

"Mr. Meade, your fiancé did suffer some trauma to her skull, but we should have those test results soon. As far as the surgery, it was very tricky because of the pregnancy, but she had some internal bleeding they needed to get under control. I do know the doctor said the fetus seems to be fine, though."

"So, is she awake yet?"

"No, I'm afraid not. She was unconscious when they brought her in and she still is. Here she comes now. You can try and talk to her, see if she responds to your voice."

Daniel nodded, as he wiped away a few tears. He had to be strong, for Betty. He went to her gurney and walked alongside as they wheeled her into her room.

"Betty, sweetie, it's me, Daniel. Are you okay? They said the baby is fine. You've just got to get better. You know I'm useless without you, babe. Betty, can you hear me, honey?"

The nurse got Betty's IV and monitors hooked up, then put up the curtain for Daniel's privacy and left the room.

Daniel broke down. He had been holding back until he was alone with Betty, but he had never been so frightened in his life. Not even his father's recent death could prepare him for this kind of agony. Just the thought that Betty might not wake up scared the hell out of him.

He felt her squeeze his hand and he leaned forward, "Betty, do you hear me, sweetie? God, you've just got to get better. I can't live without you. You've got to come back to me. I need you. Our baby needs you.

You're going to be a mommy, Betty. You have to get better and be the wonderful mother I know you will be and first, we'll have a great little wedding.

I'd give you the biggest wedding in the world, but you said you wanted to just have a simple ceremony on a beach somewhere, with a few close friends and family, so that's what we'll have.

I've got a friend who owns some property on Oahu. We can get married there, then go island hopping. We can go to any or all of them, if you want, Betty. The one with all the waterfalls that you like, and Maui, the Big Island, and see the volcanoes, everything we talked about, sweetie.

We'll get a little hula skirt for you and one for the baby, too, maybe, if it's a little girl. I almost hope she is a girl, so I can spoil her and she'll look like you.

But, I might not like it when she started dating, so maybe a boy would be better. I could take him to football games and teach him to be a good guy, not an idiot like I was before I met you, Betty. It really doesn't matter what we have as long as they're healthy!

I love you so much, Betty. You've just got to get better." He laid his head down on the edge of the bed and placed his hands on her stomach, and cried.

After several minutes, he heard a slight commotion. Ignacio, Hilda, and Justin arrived and they all saw Daniel at the bed, crying. "Dios Mio! Daniel, she's not…?"

He wiped his eyes hastily, "No, no, they just brought her out of surgery a little while ago. The nurse said the baby is okay. They were able to stop the bleeding. She squeezed my hand a few times, but she still hasn't woken up yet. I'll let you guys have some time with her. I think I'm going to go get some coffee downstairs. Does anybody else want some?"

Hilda nodded, "I'll take some, Daniel. Cream and two sugars, please. Thanks." She walked over to him and patted him on the back, "My sister is a strong girl, Daniel. Don't you worry. She's going to be just fine. I know it!"

He nodded and grabbed her hand to squeeze it.

"Betty can do anything. She will pull through. You'll see. Nothing can keep my sister down." She broke down a bit, and Justin and Daniel both hugged her.

"Mom, it's okay. Aunt B is a really strong lady. She is so stubborn! Which I think is a good thing, right now. Do you know how much she fought me on her first day at Mode, Daniel? She wanted to wear this HIDEOUS poncho grandpa brought her back from Mexico!"

Daniel laughed, "Yeah, I think she told me about that. She looked nice on her first day. But she told me you made her wear a black dress that she really didn't want to wear. She said she only bought it for a funeral!"

They all laughed. Daniel smiled, and told them he would be right back with the coffee, while they took turns speaking to Betty, trying to get her to respond.

Almost two weeks went by, with still no indication that she was going to come out of the coma. Daniel was doing most of his work at the hospital, and Alexis had taken over a lot of his workload. Even Wilhelmina offered to help out while Daniel spent most of his time at Betty's bedside.

Betty's family had to fight him to go home and shower and nap (and eat). Amanda and Marc came with flowers and chocolates. Amanda looked almost scared to see Betty this way, she blinked back tears.

She started getting nervous and eating the chocolates. Marc tried to slap them out of her hand, "Stop that! You're going to look like a cow if you don't stop stress eating, Mandy! Don't forget how bad you got when you found out Fey Sommers was your real mother? You don't want to get a huge ass like that again!" He made a face.

She pouted, "Marc, don't be so mean! I'm worried about Betty. What if she never comes out of this? What's poor Daniel going to do?

He looks terrible! He doesn't eat or drink or do anything except the bare minimum at Mode and just comes here and sits by her side all the time! It's so sad! I blame that damn Sofia!"

"You think she pushed Betty down the stairs?"

"What? No! I didn't say that. I thought she just lost her balance or something. She was really dizzy that morning. No, I just meant that if Daniel hadn't had to deal with her, he would have been with Betty.

I know he blames himself for that. I was actually mad at him that day, until Alexis told me what was going on, that the bitch was trying to blackmail the whole family.

She said she was even threatening to tell the press that Betty had used her relationship with Daniel to keep her father in the country and all kinds of crazy stuff, so that's why he was treating her with kid gloves that day, instead of telling her where to get off. Still, I know he regrets not just being with Betty the whole time."

Marc had a thought, "Mandy, did you or anybody actually see Betty fall?"

"Not that I know of. I didn't even know she had fallen until Christine found her at the twentieth floor and yelled up for me to call an ambulance."

He shuddered, "God, I hate this kind of drama when it's somebody we care about."

Amanda looked at him, smiling sweetly, "Aww…you really do care about Betty, then?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I didn't like her at first at all! She was just someone who looked hideous to make fun of for the most part that first week.

But when she got spunk and attitude and sass, and she kind of grew on me, I guess. Plus, she's pretty now, she's easier to like. Don't ever tell Willi I said this, but I kinda love that Betty challenges her; it makes my life more interesting!

It's getting harder to know who I should cheer for anymore, though. I kind of want Betty and Daniel to win sometimes. But, other times, I'm still Willi's bitch. I can't help myself. The woman is my diva.

But I still have to laugh, behind her back of course, when I think about Claire Meade pushing her in that empty grave and the time Fabia tricked her into going to see Mr. Wong!

That was totally hilarious, I must admit! I pawned her off on Justin and he did a fabulous job helping her.

Don't you dare tell anyone I said that about liking Betty, though, or I won't get you shoes from the closet anymore."

They stayed and left the flowers, not really knowing what to say or do with Betty not being awake. Amanda leant down and patted Betty's hand, "Get better, Betty. None of this means I like you or anything, you know, Bestie!" She teared up a bit and walked away, leaning on Marc.

Marc tore the chocolates out of Amanda's hands, "Leave these for Betty, Mandy! Maybe the smell will wake her up. You know how she loves chocolate!"

Amanda nodded. Marc patted her shoulder, "Get better, so I have someone to make fun of, Betty. Bye, chimi-changa!"

"Are you crying, Marc?"

"No, shut up! Let's go, Amanda. I hate being around all these sick people. The lighting in here is terrible! That's probably what's making everyone sick!"

On the third week since her fall, Daniel was sitting by Betty's side, reading her some of the more amusing articles from the latest issue of Mode, and telling her funny stories about Alex and himself when they were kids.

"You know, to this day, I am missing part of my pinky toe, thanks to him, I mean her! I don't know if you noticed that or not, but it's true! I would have followed Alex anywhere back then. I was a typical stupid kid brother who totally idolized my big brother. Alex could do no wrong in my eyes.

Now, she is actually coming through for me again, surprisingly, Betty. She got Sofia to sign a statement that is essentially a gag order. So, she can't go to the press about anything. But, I don't even want to think about her. I only want to concentrate on you and our baby getting better.

Sweetie, you've got to be strong for our baby, honey! Betty? I love you. Please wake up!"

He sighed and blew out a labored breath, then closed his eyes.

"Daniel?" His eyes popped open to see brown ones looking back at him and smiling slightly.

"Betty? Oh, baby, I'm so happy you're awake! God, I was so worried about you! The baby's fine. So don't be worried or scared about that, okay?"

She blinked hard and looked at him strangely, "The _baby? What BABY?"_

"Your baby of course, Betty."

She looked incredulous, "I'm PREGNANT? How did THAT happen?"

He looked at her like she was a mental patient, "Do you seriously not remember? Um…the usual way, Betty. I mean, you were there."

"Does Matt know?"

"Matt? Who is Matt? What are you talking about, sweetie?"

She looked at Daniel strangely when he called her sweetie. "Daniel, it's really nice of you to come check on me, but where is my family?

What happened to me, anyway? Did I faint or something when I found out I was pregnant? Does papi know?"  
"Yeah, of course he knows. Everybody knows. They're all happy about it. You don't remember falling down the stairs, then?"

"NO! Wait, maybe. I'm a little fuzzy, but I sort of remember going down stairs, actually. It hurt. I was scared. I remember that. Did you call Matt yet? Does he know I'm pregnant?"

"Betty, I don't know who this Matt is you're talking about, honey. Is he a nurse or doctor here?"

"Daniel, you know very well who Matt is. Matt Hartley. My boyfriend, my baby's father."

"WHAT? Hartley? The only Hartley I know of is Cal Hartley. Come to think of it, I do remember they used to be friends of my parents years ago and I think they did have a kid named Matt.

But, what the hell are you talking about Betty? He's not your boyfriend! I'm your fiancé! See this?" he held up her ring for her to see.

"And as far as I know, I'm your baby's father, too, Betty. At least I'd BETTER be! Hopefully, you're just really confused right now."

Betty blushed profusely, "DANIEL! I don't think so! What is wrong with you? Why would you say that? I don't really know where this ring is from, but I'm your assistant! What are you talking about? We never did anything…like that!"

"The hell we didn't! Maybe you need a little reminder, Betty." He leaned down and kissed her as passionately as he could with all the monitors she had hooked up to her.

As he pulled away, her eyes got wide, "Daniel! What was that?"

"A kiss, I believe. Still not remember me? I don't think they will let me do here what I'd like to do right now to jog your memory of how you got pregnant, Betty. But believe me Matt Hartley had nothing to do with it. I did!"


	36. Chapter 36 New Faces

**Chapter 36: New Faces**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!_

**Daniel and Betty's family listened to the doctor explain her condition. **

"**Retrograde amnesia** refers to the patient's inability to recall memories before the onset of amnesia. It's usually caused by head trauma. Recent memories are less likely to be recovered but older memories will be easier to recall due to strengthening over time. This type of amnesia is usually temporary and can be treated by exposing them to memories from the loss."

**Daniel looked at him, "So, we should try and expose her to things and people that she knows to help trigger her memory to return?"**

"**Yes. I'm also curious about these strange dreams you say she has been having as a sort of reaction to her anesthesia. Has she told her Orthodontist about them?"**

**Hilda thought for a minute, "I think so. But I don't think she seemed too concerned. Should we be? It is kind of weird that she seems to think she's now like she was in her dreams.**

**She thinks she still is Daniel's assistant and doesn't remember getting her invisaligns, plus she thinks she is dating some guy named Matt, who she's actually only met once I think at her YETI meeting. All stuff she told us about that happened in these crazy hallucinations or whatever they are."**

**"Well, I'm not really sure how that plays into her trauma. Perhaps you could simply show her how those things are not her reality. Present her with proof that her memories right now are really dreams of something that never happened. For example, this man she thinks is her boyfriend, if you could get him to come and introduce himself and explain to her that they don't really know each other, she will see what's real and what isn't.**

**She can obviously see her braces are real enough as they are, instead of the ones she thinks she is supposed to have. Just** **present her with comparisons between her real life and this dream life she thinks is now real.**

**Honestly, the good part about retrograde amnesia is that since it's trauma induced, it's usually very temporary. She should regain her memories, her REAL ones soon enough. I wouldn't worry too much."**

**As soon as he left, they all tried to think of various people and things that might help jog Betty's memories.**

**Daniel volunteered to get Marc and Amanda to come in to talk to her and try and find Matt Hartley. He seemed determined more than anything to convince Betty she was his fiancée and NOT Matt's girlfriend.**

**"I'll gladly get this Hartley guy in to tell Betty they aren't dating. She looked at me like I was crazy or something when I kissed her and told her we were engaged!**

**The sooner we get her memory back on track, the better! She kept asking me if Matt knew she was pregnant, and saying her baby had to be his or whatever.**

**Not something a guy particularly wants to do, convince his fiancée the baby their expecting is his! I've got enough trouble dealing with the whole Sofia crap, with her claiming her kid IS mine, which I don't believe!"**

**Hilda shook her head and patted Daniel's arm, "Don't worry, Daniel. She'll get her memory back soon. You heard the doctor. It's just because of the trauma. Look on the bright side, other than this short-term thing, Betty is healing fine.**

**She didn't have any broken bones or anything and they were able to stop the bleeding without harming the baby."**

**He nodded, "I know. You're right. I should be grateful. I guess sometimes I'm just too much of 'the glass is half empty' kind of guy. You and Betty are always so positive. I don't know how you do it. Thanks, Hilda."**

**Justin was going to sing and dance for his aunt a few numbers from shows she had seen him in recently. Ignacio was planning on bringing some of her favorite foods she had eaten not too long ago.**

**Hilda was planning on fixing Betty's hair and makeup like she had been wearing it in the past few months and Christina was bringing in some of her designs that Betty had told her she liked.**

**Daniel went off to Mode, to speak to his mom, Alexis, Marc and Amanda, and to have Marc help him track down Matt.**

**Over the next few days, after Betty had been released from the hospital, she had insisted she go back to her 'home' in Queens, rather than with Daniel. She still seemed somewhat leery of everyone telling her what she herself couldn't remember.**

**When she got in the house, she went upstairs to her old room and lay down. Hilda knocked quietly, "Hey, mami, can I come** **in?"**

**"Sure, Hilda. What's up? Are you going to try and convince me that I'm crazy again, and that I'm supposedly engaged to Daniel and having his baby and that I barely know Matt?"**

**"No. At least, not right now. Even though it's true, honey."**

**"I don't know how it could be. All because I dress a little better, and got myself all made up and got these kind of braces? This makeover made Daniel Meade fall madly in love with me? It's just…weird, Hilda. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. I'm still no supermodel, even though I admit, I look better, I guess."**

**"You guess? Betty, honey, you look amazing, but honestly, it's more than your makeover that made Daniel fall in love with you. I think, it started things, sure.**

**But, it also happened because it gave YOU more confidence in yourself. You have helped him in so many ways, baby. You've helped him through his dad's death recently.**

**You helped him do his job so many times. He helped you get rid of that crazy Vincent Biancci, and…"**

**"Wait, what about Vincent Biancci? Nobody said anything about him. Didn't I still get him to do the holiday spread for Mode? Because that's what I remember. I sent him a great gyro from Sal's."**

**Hilda nodded, "Well, yeah. He did do the photo shoot. But, then you two started dating and he turned out to be a big jerk.**

**He was trying to get you to sleep with him in exchange for helping you pick up Daniel from a bar or something. He was always trying to put the moves on you. He was very full of himself. Luckily, I got Daniel to help me rescue you from him."**

**"I DATED Vincent Biancci? Wow! These braces are awesome!" She grabbed a hand mirror and smiled at herself. "Anybody else I should know about?"**

**Hilda shook her head, "Well, no. You started dating Daniel right after you broke up with Vince."**

**Betty touched her stomach, "And he and I are expecting a baby. Wow. It's kind of weird finding out I'm pregnant and not really remembering how I got that way. At least, not with-Daniel!"**

**Hilda nodded, sitting down on the edge of Betty's bed and patting her hand sympathetically, "I guess it would be."**

**Justin yelled upstairs, "Mom, Daniel's here with some guy to see AB. Is she awake?"**

**Hilda muttered, "That boy! I've told him a thousand times not to yell. JUSTIN! Bring them upstairs. She's awake!"**

**Betty smiled at her sister, but quickly smoothed her hair and fussed with her shirt and jeans.**

**Daniel and Matt stood outside Betty's bedroom door. Daniel knocked lightly, "Betty, are you decent?"**

**Hilda yelled, "Yeah, Daniel, she is. Come on in."**

**Betty hit her sister lightly on the arm, "Hilda, I can speak for myself. I'm not an invalid, just because I'm brain damaged and pregnant."**

**Hilda laughed. "Sorry!"**

**Daniel peeked in and motioned Matt to follow him. Matt looked around the room and smiled, "Are we in Disneyland?"**

**Daniel nodded, "Yeah."**

**Betty lit up when she saw Matt, "Matt! Hey! How are you hon…I mean, how is it going at Yeti?"**

**"Great! I do remember you, Betty. I think you came with some other guy from Mode, too, if I recall. A gay guy, Mike or something?"**

**"Marc."**

**"Right. So…you think you know me from your dreams? I'm kind of unclear here. Mr. Meade said you fell down a flight of stairs and hit your head and now you're sort of confused, so you think we uh know each other and have been dating? "**

**Betty tried to smile, but she was visibly shaken that Matt obviously didn't know her other than as a one-time acquaintance. She nodded, embarrassed, "Um, well, yes. I'm sorry to have dragged you all the way out here, Mr. Hartley.**

**I can see you don't really know me. I guess everyone's right. I must be crazy or something." She bit her lip, looking like she was having a hard time holding it together.**

**Daniel said quietly to Matt, as he patted his shoulder, "Thanks for coming, Matt. My car's out front. Just tell the driver where you need to go. I'll get it later."**

**Matt nodded at Daniel and looked back at Betty, "I'm really sorry. I…wish I did know you better. I hope you get your memory back. I can tell you one thing, though. Daniel here definitely cares about you."**

**She nodded, "Thanks, Matt. Good luck at Yeti. Maybe I'll see you again there, sometime."**

**"Sure. Take care of yourself and get better."**

**He went downstairs, leaving Daniel and Hilda with Betty. Hilda glanced at Daniel who nodded to her silently.**

**"Betty, I'm going to leave you two alone for a minute. I'll talk to you later, okay?"**

**Betty nodded, trying not to cry. Daniel went and sat next to her on her bed. "Betty. Are you okay?"**

**She shook her head and looked up at him, confused, "Not really! I don't know what to think. I feel like I've gone insane or something, Daniel. I don't know what's real anymore. That's a very scary feeling."**

**"I'm sorry, honey. I know it must be hard, not being sure of anything right now. But, the doctor said this sometimes happens with head trauma and it was temporary. You're going to remember things. You've just got to be patient with yourself, that's all."**

**"I'm sorry, Daniel."**  
**"Sorry? About what? Betty, this isn't your fault, sweetie. Nobody blames you. It's my fault, if anything. I should have made sure you were okay that day. Amanda said you were feeling dizzy and had morning sickness. I should have never left you alone."**

"**Daniel, you shouldn't blame yourself, either. Why would you need to babysit me? Even if I am uh…pregnant, that doesn't mean you should be responsible to watch me like a hawk or something.**

**It's not your fault I got dizzy and fell down the stairs. It was just an unfortunate accident. I've always been sort of a klutz. Remember, the first day I started at Mode, I ran into the glass door?"**

**"No, you didn't, Betty. Well, wait a minute. I think I opened the door for you. Now that I think of it, you did _almost_ run into it. That's kind of weird. You said I made you wear some crazy outfit, too, right?**

**See, Philippe tried to convince me to do that, but…I didn't go that far to try and get rid of you that first week."**  
**"But the cole slaw? And the dog, and the…"**

**He put up his hand, nodding, "Yep. Guilty as charged. I did do all that crappy stuff to you your first week, Betty. Sorry! I wish none of that were true."**

**"So, can I ask you a weird question?"**

**"Weird is a very relative term right now, I'd say. Given our situation. Sure, shoot!"**

**"What made you look at me as not just your assistant? Was it my make-over?"**

**He nodded, "I admit, you definitely got my attention with that. Not just because of how you looked, so much as your attitude totally changed, Betty.**

**It was like you had all this confidence in yourself and you were teasing me and acting sort of flirty. It was definitely a turn on.**

**Then, I guess the Vince thing sort of got me jealous, and protective. That made me so mad I started dating stupid Sofia, though, which was a BIG mistake. But it also eventually made me want _you_ all the more. I saw the differences between the two of you. She was cold and calculating and you were sweet and caring.**

**Not to mention, my family is totally in love with you. I think my dad loved you way more than he ever did me. He was so proud of you, Betty. I was actually sort of jealous of how much he loved you.**

**Mom's crazy about you, too. Alex even likes you."**

**"Alex? So, she, I mean he never got the surgery? Wow."**  
**"No, sorry. I still slip sometimes, Betty. It's still Alexis. She's still a she."**

**"Oh. Okay. I…don't really know what to think about well, any of this, Daniel. I'm so confused right now.**

**"I'm sure it is confusing. I wish I knew how to help you."**

**"Kiss me?"**

**"Are you sure? You seemed kind of freaked out in the hospital when I kissed you, Betty."**

**"Well, yeah. You've got to understand, Daniel. As far as I'm concerned, we're just friends. Best friends, but we never dated or even kissed. Ever.**

**Then I wake up from a coma and you tell me I'm pregnant and it's your child and that we're engaged. None of which I remember. It scared me."**

**"So, you're not scared anymore?"**

**"Well, I'm getting used to things a little. But, I want to um…see how much I remember things. And you. So…if you don't mind."**

**"Sure. Of course. Are you ready?"**

**"I'm still here." She laughed nervously.**

**He took off his coat and placed it on a chair, then sat down again, holding her arms**  
**he leaned down for a gentle kiss. He was surprised when Betty deepened it and slid her arms around him, pulling her towards her.**

**They continued to kiss for several minutes, until she pushed away slightly and looked at him, "Wow! That was really weird."**

**"Weird-good, I hope?"**

**She blushed. "Yes. I don't think I ever in a million years imagined kissing my boss!"**

**He smiled, "You know, Betty, it's kind of sexy, having you think we're not involved. It's sort of like role play or something. I guess Hilda was right. I've been looking at this as such a terrible thing; I didn't see that it might have some positive consequences, too! So, to you, that was our first kiss?"**

**She nodded. He leaned on his elbow, close to her, grinning, "Well, so…do I get a second?"**

**She nodded, smiling somewhat shyly, "I don't see why not."**

**He moved towards her very slowly, as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down on top of her.**

**Justin came downstairs smiling and told his mom, "Hey, I just walked past AB's room. I think she might be remembering stuff."**

**"That's great, Justin. What makes you think that?"**

**"I just saw her making out with Daniel on her bed," he grinned.**


	37. Chapter 37 Same as it Ever Was

**Chapter 37: Same as it Ever Was**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!

* * *

"**Are they uh…**_**done **_**yet, do you think? Maybe we should just yell or I could go knock on her door again."**

"**That's okay, Justin. I'll yell. Put your earphones in. BETTY! DINNER!"**

**Ignacio and Justin both winced, and Ignacio shook his head, "Aye, Chihuahua, that girl has a set of lungs!"**

**They heard scrambling upstairs and voices. Finally, Betty and Daniel emerged from her room, looking somewhat rumpled. **

**Daniel's shirt was buttoned wrong and very wrinkled, and he had been wearing a tie and a belt before which were both missing, Justin noted. Daniel was nervously running his hands through his hair, which was very messy.**

**Betty looked even more disheveled, and Daniel panicked as he noticed too late that her blouse was on wrong side out. He put his hand up to his head, but figured they were pretty obvious at this point, anyway.**

**Hilda, ever the diplomat commented as they tried to sit down unobtrusively, "Betty, love the new look, mami! Is that all the rage at Mode, now, wrong side out?"**

**Betty looked down in alarm to see what she had done, and hit Daniel on the arm, as he chuckled at her embarrassment, **

"**Daniel! Why didn't you SAY something?"**

**He shrugged, whispering back, "Hey, I've got my own problems, here. I couldn't find my belt or tie, or shoes. I'm just wearing socks!"**

**Ignacio pretended not to notice what was going on, doing his best 'ignorant dad' face that he had perfected over the years with his two daughters and their boyfriends. **

**Although, usually, this kind of situation was what he expected with Hilda, not Betty.**

**Justin and Hilda exchanged eye rolls and stifled giggles as everyone began eating Ignacio's wonderful meal.**

**Later, Justin looked at his Aunt Betty and tried not to laugh at her, "Hey, AB, I meant to tell you and Daniel, my teacher loved me so much in the play that she's going to cast me as Romeo when we do Shakespeare. I mean, she has to hold auditions, technically, but she practically promised me the role! **

**Dad said he was going to definitely come this time. He felt really bad about missing me as Tony in West Side Story when those guys mugged him.**

**Betty's face went pale and she excused herself, "Sorry, I'm not feeling too well. I guess I must have eaten something earlier that disagreed with me. I don't know what's wrong with me."**

"**Maybe it's something to do with the baby, like morning sickness or something, Aunt Betty, or in this case, evening sickness, I guess."**

**Betty looked at him strangely, then put her hand down to her stomach, "Oh, that's right. I'm pregnant! I keep forgetting! Yeah, maybe that is it. Thanks for reminding me, Justin."**

"**Well, sure, AB, but I thought that's what Daniel was already doing for the last hour and a half!" Hilda smacked his hair lightly, "JUSTIN SUAREZ!" **

**He grinned, and looked slightly sheepish, "Sorry!"**

**Daniel grabbed a bite of enchilada and said, "I'll go see if she's okay. Thanks, Mr. Suarez. This is really good."**

"**No problem, Daniel. Glad to see Betty is getting her memory back."**

"**Well, not yet, but…I'm sure she will soon."**

**Hilda couldn't resist, and grinned, "You keep working on her, I mean **_**it**_**, Daniel! She'll come around."**

**He shook his head, thinking Betty's family was in her business way too much. He could see her need to share an apartment in the city and better understood now why she was even willing to have Amanda as a roommate.**

**When he got upstairs, he found Betty crying on her bed. He went to her, "Betty, honey, what's wrong? Are you okay? Look, I'm sorry if you were embarrassed, but I don't really think your family cares what we were doing! **

**I guess with how my mom is I stopped worrying about being embarrassed about things a long time ago. But, I'm really sorry I didn't catch your uh…fashion problem there."**

"**No! Daniel. It's Santos!"**

"**Santos? Justin's dad? What about him?"**

"**He…uh, in my head or memory or dreams or whatever, he got shot and killed the night of Justin's play. The West Side Story opening. He never made it in my memory; because that's the night he died!"**

"**How did he get shot? The mugging thing?"**

"**No, it was a store robbery that he got involved in. He saved the owner's life, but he got in the way and the robber killed him. It was terrible!"**

**He hugged her, "Maybe we can warn him or something? Keep him safe, so that never happens."**

"**Maybe. I don't know if I'm supposed to interfere in things. I don't think I've ever really tried to change anything like that deliberately. **

**Although, I did warn you about Sofia though, right? And Connor Owens. And Christine didn't get pushed down the stairs when she was pregnant with Wilhelmina's baby. Hmm…that's weird that I fell down stairs. I don't think Alexis would want to push **_**me,**_** though**_**!**_**"**

"**Wilhelmina's baby? What? Uh, Wilhelmina and your friend Christine were uh partners or something in your dream? How would THAT work? Who was the um…sperm donor?"**

"**Your dad. Well, after he died."**

"**WHAT? Betty, I don't know if I'd put too much stock in some of those weird fantasies while you were under anesthesia, honey. **

**They sound pretty wild. How the hell could my dad donate sperm after he died, anyway? I mean, I know the old man got around with women almost as much as I used to, but…"**

"**She stole it somehow. I don't know. I definitely didn't' ask specifics, Daniel. But Christina was her surrogate. Not her lover. Oooh! Daniel, that's disgusting! **

**Christina's husband Stuart was the baby's real father, anyway, thank goodness. So it wasn't your half-brother. But you do have one of those, too. In South Dakota."**

"**I do? South Dakota! Betty, whoa, whoa, slow down, babe. I think you're having some kind of reaction or something. Maybe all your memories are coming back at once. But all of that stuff just sounds too weird!"**

"**Daniel, what is going on with Sofia? I overheard Hilda whispering something to papi about her. Is she still here? I haven't seen her since she humiliated you on that stupid morning show and I quit working for her. She's back?"**

"**Uh, well, yeah. She's um…pregnant. The day you fell she was trying to blackmail me. But she disappeared again while you were in the hospital. I have some investigators working on finding her. She was into me for almost a third of Meade, and had me convinced it was my baby, at least until she took off again.**

**Now, I don't know. Marc seems convinced she pushed you or something. You still don't remember if you actually fell down the stairs or not?"**

**She shook her head, "No, I don't, Daniel. I just remember falling. Not really how I fell. So, is Christine still here, then? She's not in Scotland with William and Stuart?"**

"**No. She's here. I don't really know who William and Stuart are, Betty. Are you feeling okay, babe?"**

"**Well, other than the fact that I just had sex with my boss who swears he's my fiancée and baby's father and my nephew's father who I thought was dead is alive and nothing I remember is the same, yeah, sure, I'm great! **

**Plus, you might have gotten your ex-girlfriend pregnant and she tried to blackmail you, and possibly kill me and my baby! Yeah, I'm just peachy, Daniel!"**

**He shook his head and put his arm around her, "Betty, honey, I'm so sorry. I know this must all be SO confusing to you, not knowing what's real and what isn't. But I'm real and you and me, we're definitely real. Our love hasn't changed."**

"**Well, that's the thing, Daniel. Obviously for me, it has. I remember loving you as a friend for a long time, but…nothing romantic ever happened in my memory."**

**He grinned, "Yeah, so you said, Betty, you naughty girl. Yet, you still slept with me just now? Miss Suarez!"**

"**Hey, if I'm already pregnant, I might as well, I don't know, at least see how I got that way and enjoy myself!" **

**He laughed, "I guess that sort of makes sense. **

**She blushed, somewhat flustered. "Besides, I didn't really mean for all that to happen earlier. You kind of took me by surprise, Daniel."**

**He nodded, "Sorry, I guess I got carried away, I was so happy to have you sort of acting like you remembered us or at least wanted to try!"**

**She put her hand up to his cheek, "I do care about you, Daniel. I'm sure I'll remember us soon. I'm sorry. I guess this can't be easy for you, either. To have the person you proposed to not remember. How long have we been engaged?"**

"**Less than a week." He drew in a breath.**

"**Really? Oh, wow! That recently? Daniel, I wish I could just snap my fingers and remember everything. You just lost your dad, right? So, you don't need this kind of stress right now."**

"**Maybe I could take you back to the restaurant where I proposed and see if it helps you remember."**

**She looked up at him, smiling, "That's so sweet, Daniel. I really wish I could remember how we, you know, fell in love and everything. **

**I hate not knowing what changed about our relationship that made us more than friends now."**

**He leaned on one arm, lying next to her on her bed, "Well, let's see, I guess, it started when you teased the hell out of me and kind of grew from there. I got jealous of Vincent Biancchi, and helped Hilda 'rescue' you from him. That was the first night we kissed. Then we started dating. We were sort of keeping our relationship on the down low until you got promoted to editor at MYW. Then, we went to Mexico together."**

"**YOU came to Mexico with me?" she giggled. "I don't know if I can quite picture that, Daniel!"**

**He nodded, smiling at her, glad to see her laughing, "Yeah, you're grandmother kissed me and gave me some kind of Mexican blessing or something I think."**

"**My grandmother? Oh, that's right. I do remember meeting her. But she kissed you? That's sweet!"**

"**Yeah, she thought I was your dad.**

**Then, after we got back here, there was a night when your dad was still in Mexico, and Justin was at a rehearsal and Hilda and Santos were at his place, so we had this place all to ourselves, and you said you were you know, finally ready, so I got all excited, then stupid Sofia showed up and screwed up everything by announcing she was pregnant and claiming it was mine. **

**Although, she still hasn't proven it. Becks took a test and it wasn't his, but knowing her, it could be almost anybody's. She sleeps around more than I used to, even!**

**Finally, we went to my place and had a really nice time getting to know one another, but of course, we get a call about my dad's heart attack, you know, just in case we were having too much fun or anything! Yeah, things have been sort of up and down for us, Betty. But, being in love with you has definitely changed me!**

**You helped me have a much better relationship with my whole family! You helped get my mom out of prison for killing Fey Sommers! You've always been there for me. I'm so lucky you're part of my life."**

**She blushed, but touched her forehead to his, breathing him in, and rather enjoying his hands, wandering over her body, in appreciation for her soft curves. "I was thinking, Daniel. Maybe I would be able to remember what my life is really like better over at your place, if that's where I have been living. It could spark my memory. I can't stand this not knowing what's real. It's making me nauseous. And please don't remind me it could just be because I'm pregnant. It's still too weird thinking about that right now!**

**In my head, I shouldn't look like this. I don't even recognize myself in the mirror anymore. I'm feeling really disoriented and I need to shake myself into remembering my life, the sooner the better. That's sort of why I went along with you earlier. **

**I know they sometimes tell pregnant women who are late going into labor to have sex, and it helps get their labor started, kind of like hitting a bottle of ketchup, so, I figured maybe it would help me remember something, I don't know."**

**Daniel lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, and looking at all the Disney posters on her wall, and grimaced, "Gee, thanks a lot, Betty. **

**That's really flattering. You had sex with me because you thought it would literally jar your memory back like a ketchup bottle?" He shook his head.**

**She sighed, "I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't say I didn't enjoy it. I just don't know you all that well. I mean, I do know you, just not like that. I don't know what I mean anymore. **

**I really think I should go back to doing whatever I did before I lost my memory, though. So, let's go back to your place and you can tell me what things I would normally be doing, and it should eventually start seeming familiar, right? That's sort of what the doctor said, isn't it?"**

**He grinned, thinking about Hilda's admonition to look at this as an opportunity to be grateful for what they still had. Betty and the baby were healthy. And so what if she didn't remember falling in love with him and only thought of him as a friend right now? **

**He could seduce her into falling in love with him all over again, if he had to. And who knows, maybe she was right, going to his place might make her recover her memory anyway. Either way, they could have fun in the process.**


	38. Chapter 38 The Mirror Has Two Faces

**Sliding Glass Doors**

**Chapter 38: **

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!

After a few days 'bed rest' at Daniel's loft, Betty was anxious to return to work.

She was a little intimidated finding out that she was the editor at MYW in her 'new life' that she couldn't remember, but in other ways, she felt more than ready, since in her mind, she had been working at Mode for four years, instead of less than one!

Daniel was hesitant for her to let anyone know about her strange dreams that she was now treating like her memories.

And they had a few little hiccups in their love life, with Betty giggling a lot more and acting extra shy and as if she didn't know him intimately when they made love.

But on the other hand, it also made things even more exciting, since their love seemed like such a surprise to Betty, who acted as if they had just begun an illicit affair, which in some respects made it seem hotter!

Her self-esteem was something he was definitely working on to improve, however. She seemed convinced she wasn't pretty and she was constantly acting as if she didn't deserve his praise or love.

Finally, one day, Daniel had enough. After they had made love, he kissed her down the length of her body, then pulled her up to a mirror and made her look at herself. "Betty, look, you're beautiful. How can I not be turned on?"

She turned away, "Daniel…I'm getting a belly. I'm soft, and too curvy and…"

"Um…curvy is NOT a bad thing, Betty. I happen to love your big boobs."

She giggled. "Daniel! You once told me not to ever say big boobs again."

"No, I didn't"

"Yes, you did."

"Well, I don't remember ever saying that to you, Betty."

"You did in my memories."

"Never happened, babe. But I'll say it again, you have great boobs. You have a seriously hot ass, too!"

She blushed, "Daniel, really. You're embarrassing me."

"Why? I need you to stop comparing yourself to models, Betty. I know I used to sleep with them but I was just going through the motions, if that makes any sense.

I mean, yeah they all turned me on, I guess at the time, but not like you, Betty. Your body is amazing. You're inspirational, like a Botticelli painting or something. You're soft, yes, but in a really sexy way. And your face is gorgeous! Your lips, I could write a damn sonnet on how kissable they are."

She laughed, as he knelt down and kissed her belly, touching it softly, "And knowing you're going to have my baby, just makes you even more beautiful, if that's possible!"

She pulled him up, holding his face in her hands, "I have to admit, I really like THIS Daniel."

"This Daniel? Betty, I'm the same old Daniel, babe."

"No, you're a _lot_ better, believe me! Mainly, because you love me. I mean, I liked the Daniel I remember, too. But now! I love this Daniel, I mean, you. I love you, Daniel."

"You do? Do you _remember_ loving me yet?"

She shook her head, "No. But I don't need to. I love you now. I'm sure I'll get things back eventually. But for now, this is enough. I'm so happy this is the life I ended up living. I have you as my fiancé that takes care of me and our baby and that's a whole lot better than just as a nice boss that's always depending on me to take care of him!"

He cringed, "Really? I was kind of a weinee, huh, Betty? Expecting you to do everything for me and to baby me all the time?"

She shrugged, "A little, maybe. But you got better eventually. I like how strong you are now, though even better, Daniel. You're still sweet and vulnerable, but not so needy and dependent as I remember."

He hugged her, kissing the top of her forehead. "You're still determined to keep working at MYW? Even not remembering things yet?"

She shrugged, "Who's my assistant?"

"Well, Janet was, but she had a family emergency and is on leave right now, so Ruthie is, but I know you told me once you didn't trust her."  
"No, she's loyal to Sofia. We need to fire her and get…Amanda."

"Amanda? My Amanda? I mean, Mode's Amanda?"

"_Your _Amanda? Daniel, are you two still?..."

"NO! Absolutely not, Betty. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that! We haven't done anything for well…ever since I met you, practically.

She was all over me at first, because I think she was jealous and could tell I was falling for you, but we were never really serious, anyway."

"She was in my memories, Daniel. She was in love with you. She got over you, once she saw you were only sleeping with her because she was easy, but you sort of used her."

"Look, Betty, I can only apologize for things I actually did, okay? I'm sorry I was such an asshole in your memory, but I really don't remember Amanda being in love with me, and if she was, she never told me about it.

I didn't mean to call her 'mine' and I'm sorry if I upset you saying that, but…."

She smiled and kissed him, "No, I'm sorry, Daniel. You're right. It isn't fair of me to get mad at you for things that didn't really happen. I guess I'm just oversensitive right now.

Baby hormones or something, I guess. Forget I said anything. Anyway, I trust Amanda, let's call her MY Amanda, okay?"

He hugged her, somewhat nervously, "Okay, fine. That sounds good. You two hit it off and she's really loyal to you. I think you even broke up her and Marc a little bit. Whatever kind of weird dynamic they had is a little off since you showed up.

They're still close, but she kind of sided with you in your war against Wilhelmina.

"MY war? Don't you mean OUR war, Daniel? She hates you more than me."  
"Mmmm not really. I mean she does hate me and she is trying to get rid of me, but she hates you even more because you're pretty and smart. She knows you're more a threat to her than I am, I guess.

I have to play mediator with you two a lot. Me and Marc have actually sort of bonded over both being you ladies' uh…well bitches, I guess. At least, in Marc's case. Although Willi's called me your bitch a few times, too." He shrugged, "It doesn't really bother me. I'll be your…anything, Betty!"

Betty looked shocked, "But you're still the Editor-in-chief, Daniel! I'm just an editor in one of YOUR other magazines. Technically, you're still over me."  
He grinned, "Sometimes I'm over, sometimes I'm under. It just depends on our mood, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Is everything always about sex, with you, Daniel? I see that much hasn't changed!"

He smiled, "Good! Glad to hear it. Come on, get dressed, future Mrs. Meade. I'll take you to work, and you can tell YOUR Amanda she's in and Ruthie's out! I hope you know what you're doing, Betty. She's not the most efficient assistant in the world."

"Well, Daniel, you don't know that. All you did when she was your assistant was sleep with her, so….never mind. I'm sure that's not true here, I mean now, oh! Man, I sure hope I get my memory back soon!"

When they arrived at Mode, everyone was buzzing about Betty's fall and though it wasn't common knowledge about her temporary memory loss, word had of course reached Miss Slater, who was talking to Marc, trying to figure out a way to use it to her advantage.

"Marc, have you located that silly Reyes woman yet? Where is she now, and why does she keep hiding from me? I want the test results to prove that baby she's carrying is Daniel's as soon as possible so I can use it to bring him down!"

"Of course, Willi. But how are you going to do that, exactly?"

"Just let me worry about the details, my pretty."

"Willi! I love it when you call me that, actually. I'm on it. I'll see what the private detectives have heard. Oh, Niko called earlier, but you were in a meeting with Vera Wang, so I didn't want to interrupt you. She's coming for a visit next month."

"WHAT? Marc, always interrupt Wang for Nico! Just not Cavali or Gabana, remember?"

"Sorry, Willi! I always get that mixed up! Don't be mad. Do I still get your botox remains this time?"

She nodded, "I suppose. But don't let it happen again. What's going on with the dynamic duo these days? As if Danny and the tranny weren't bad enough, now I heard rumors his little whore is coming back to work, too.

UH,,, it's too bad she didn't…never mind!"

Marc looked at his fearless leader somewhat suspiciously, "Willi, you didn't have anything to do with Betty 'falling' did you? I mean, I know you hate her for messing up your plans, but she…"

She narrowed her eyes, causing him to look fearful, "She what? Is a menace? Has made me look ridiculous in front of Bradford before he died, and has thwarted my plans to take Mode away from Daniel the incompetent far too many times?"

"Well, actually, I was just going to say, she is pregnant, so I'm SURE you didn't have anything to do with her fall, right?"

"Of course not! Marc, I'm shocked and saddened you would suspect me of such a thing. Betty just doesn't know how to walk on heels properly.

I'm sure with the extra weight of her and Daniel's spawn, she simply lost her footing. I had nothing to do with it, Marc. How could you think that of me?"

"I'm sorry, Willi. I shouldn't have doubted you. I just have to admit, I sort of like her spunky spirit. I know she used to be hideous when she first came here.

I was seriously thinking of making a costume of those crazy outfits she wore the first week and using them to dress up as her for Halloween.

Justin even told me he had to talk her out of wearing some god awful poncho her first day of work that he said was only good as a costume to scare people!

But…I have to admit, she's grown on me. She looks normal now, she dresses well, and she gets my humor. She's smart and pretty. Mostly, you only get one or the other."

Wilhelmina raised an eyebrow and glared at him, and he hastily added, "Well, except for you, of course, Willi. Your beauty is only surpassed by your keen intellect."  
"Don't suck up right now, Marc. I'm not in the mood. At least wait until after lunch. It's carb day."

Alexis walked in to see if Wilhelmina had her receipts to turn in to Henry for her last photo shoot. "Wilhelmina, I'm sorry, but if you can't control your spending, I'm going to have to put you on a budget!

I'm still waiting to get the details about some of the 'miscellaneous' expenses you had during that last shot you did in the Bahamas.

"I swore I saw something that looked like condoms on your expense report at first glance, then it was gone. Did you hook up with someone while you were there and get so horny that you forgot you couldn't charge all your personal expenses on the company credit card?"

"Of course, Alexis. I'll have it to you later. Let me just have another look around. I'm sure I've just misplaced it. You look fabulous in that dress, darling! Red really works for you."

As soon as Alexis left, she seethed with anger, "That walking joke has the balls to come in here and nickel and dime me about some stupid expense report?

I'm a creative director-although by all rights I should be the editor-in-chief, not that dumb dumb Daniel! He thinks Cavalli is some kind of pasta!

Now, she won't even let me create! This is unacceptable! Marc, come on, we're going to go pay little Miss Betty Sunshine a welcome back visit.

I believe I have some information that is going to turn her against her precious Daniel, once and for all!

Then, let's see how well he does on his own without her to prop him up!"


	39. Chapter 39 The Song Remains the Same

**Sliding Glass Doors**

**Chapter 39: The Song Remains the Same**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!

_I've really enjoyed doing this little 'through the sliding glass door' look at how seemingly minor changes could have drastically changed things for Betty. This will be the last chapter of this story. I don't really plan on a prologue at this point. _

_Thank you so much to those of you who have listed this as your favorite or followed it, and as always, much appreciation for your kind reviews. TMadison, and Dettyislove, especially have been so wonderful, always giving me their positive feedback and encouragement._

_I also am thankful to ReadingFrenzy and Kimberly926 for your friendship since I came on this site. There have been a lot of other sweet readers whose comments and support of my writing has meant so much to me. Hope you enjoy the last chapter of this little 'saga'. I know I've sort of put it on the backburner lately, but it's because I started it before I had my own personal tragedy, and coming back to it was sometimes difficult for me. Thanks for your patience and continued support! _

* * *

Marc came running into Wilhelmina's office, huffing and screaming, "Willi! Help! She's after me! She caught me following her!"

"What are you squawking about?" Wilhelmina stood behind her desk, holding the top of her chair as Sofia Reyes came literally running after Marc.

"She did it, Willi, she did it! And that's not all…"

"You little weasel! You have no idea what you're doing. You're ruining EVERYTHING! I'm going to kill you!"

Marc pointed at Sofia, as he stood behind Wilhelmina, who merely looked at the man calmly, "Tell mommy dearest, Marc. What happened?"

Marc used his inhaler and tried to calm himself enough to 'tell on' Sofia. "She pushed Betty down the stairs because she was jealous that Betty's really pregnant with Daniel's baby."

"So far nothing all that surprising. I almost admire her goal, although personally, even I draw the line at attempted murder-ish.

What else have you got for me, Marc. Give me something I can use, against somebody. If you have proof of her crime, that's fine. But I need something that's going to get me Meade Publications, or at least help me with Mode."

"She IS pregnant, but it's not Daniel's baby."

"Well, considering the gossip I've heard about Ms. Reyes' many dalliances, I can't say I'm all that shocked about that one, either. But, tell me, how did she hope to pass a DNA test if it's not Daniel's baby? Surely even Daniel has enough sense to get a second opinion to avoid her fixing the results. She'd have to prove it was his baby in order to get anything from him."

"Not necessarily." Marc hesitated.

"Oh, for God's sake, you gay men really like to draw things out for dramatic effect, don't you? I'm pregnant with Bradford's baby, not Daniel's.

And since Daniel wanted to avoid the public scandal and humiliation that would have caused, I had him almost convinced to go along with me.

At least until that little slut of his, Bet-ty showed up, and distracted him. So, I was only protecting the interest of my child. There isn't enough pie to share with too many heirs!"

"Wait, YOU slept with Bradford? When he was with me? That old sleaze! How dare he cheat on me! We were engaged! Hell, he had to take Viagra just to make me even pretend to be satisfied.

How the hell did he have time or enough pills to get it up for you, too, let alone get you pregnant?"

Marc seemed offended and upset that she had interrupted his big 'reveal', so he jumped in, "Oh, it seems she and old daddy Meade-liver spots weren't really doing the oompah loompah, Willi. She didn't even have to do it the old fashioned way like you. She found a loophole. Somehow, she sweet-talked some med student at the morgue to steel the old man's sperm before they buried him!"

Wilhelmina made a face, "Ooh! That's disgusting! And brilliant, I must admit. I didn't even know they could do that. Nice move, Sofia, I have to hand it to you. If I'd thought of it, I would have done it myself. Hell, I SHOULD have thought of that myself, so I didn't have to actually sleep with the pompous old coot! I blame Betty!

Ever since she came around, batting her eyelashes at Daniel and filling his head with…well intelligence, she's made my life a living hell! She's thrown me off my game."

Sofia stood in the doorway of Wilhelmina's office, "So, are you going to interfere in my plan to blackmail Daniel and his family over this?"

"No, darling. I'm going to use it to my advantage. You see, I had planned to show our little Betty the security footage of you and Daniel getting it on in the elevator before you two had your little affair, when Betty was wasting her time with that photographer to make Daniel jealous, I suppose.

I hoped to upset her faith in him by seeing it even though he told her you two broke up. I had the security guard change the date on the footage to two days before her little 'accident'.

Sofia rolled her eyes, "I think somebody's getting slow in her old age."

"Excuse me?" Marc looked far more fearful of Willi than Sofia did.

"First of all, Betty's a very smart girl, Miss Slater. I'm sure she'd eventually have thought to cross-reference that particular footage to other camera angles for the same day and she would have figured out what you were trying to do."

Wilhelmina put her hands on her hips. "You really think she's that smart?"

"You see, that's why you keep having problems with this girl, Willi. You keep underestimating her. Betty Suarez is a very smart woman, make no mistake.

One thing I've learned about her is to never doubt that! I will definitely never take her intelligence for granted again. No, her biggest weakness is that she really loves Daniel and also perhaps that she still has low self-esteem. So, I do actually like your idea, we just need to update it, to make it work.

Let's get some current footage of me with Daniel, and we can edit that older tape along with it and it should be a lot harder for Daniel to explain away to his little Betty!"

Once Sofia had left, promising to try and get some slightly compromising video footage of her with Daniel, that could be edited along with the older security tape, Marc looked at Willi, "Are you really going to cut her in, Willi?"

"Of course not, Marc. How dare that woman call me OLD! She'll get what's coming to her, even if I have to side with the devil herself!"

"You mean?"

"Yes, Betty."

At first, Marc nodded, then he thought a minute, "Wait, Betty is the devil? Isn't it usually you?"

"Not from _my_ perspective." She looked critically at herself in the mirror, "Oh, look at this, Marc, the woman is giving me wrinkles. Get my botox. I need an extra treatment this week. All because of Betty! I can't believe I'm going to help her!"

"But how will helping Betty actually help you, Willi? I don't understand."

She patted his cheek, "Poor sweet little Marc. Sometimes in life you have to pick your battles in order to win the war. In this case, I'm going to give Betty and Daniel Miss Reyes' head on a platter. And they'll be so grateful to me they'll finally give me what I want!

Alexis and I have been talking recently and she felt guilty for going back on what she had promised me. It seems that she is planning on moving back to Europe, most likely Paris, where she's accepted a little more. So, she will be leaving behind the CEO spot at Meade Publications. If Daniel steps in to fill her shoes there, that means Mode is finally mine!"

"But what about Sofia? You promised her you'd help her get her cut of Meade publications, Willi. How are you going to double-cross her exactly?"

She grinned, "You'll see. Have a little faith in the old girl, Marc. Age does have its advantages sometimes.

Such as all the experience I've had over my MANY years of getting screwed over and passed over by Bradford, by Fey, Alexis, and now by Daniel and Betty! I think I finally know how to spin things in my favor."

"Are you going to let me in on the secret?"

She smiled seductively, "Well, if you must know, I did promise her that if she helped me 'fool Betty and Daniel' I would help her get Meade."

"You think you are going to be able to convince Alexis and Daniel, Claire and Betty once she marries Daniel to do that?"

"Of course I will, Marc. I'm going to let them know it was her evil plan all along to steal the old man's sperm, and use it to blackmail them, as well as upset poor pregnant Betty with false accusations against her precious fiancé, faking the footage.

Not to mention, I have on the audio tape I just made her confessing to actual attempted murder, in pushing Betty down the stairs, which let's face it, is plenty to get rid of her on its own, and we will definitely turn it over to the authorities anyway."

"So, we're using Sofia to be our fall-woman, then turning her into jail?"

"The woman's a criminal and deserves to go to jail and that's where she belongs. But not before I convince the Meade's what a good sport I am and how much better it would be for them to have me on their side, rather than against them.

I just want her to know who she was messing with before they take her away in irons.

Once I have my position at Mode secure, they can send little miss Mexican sexpot off to Rikers, or deport her back to whatever burrow she came from for all I care. Who knows, maybe she can visit Betty's relatives down there!"

Betty's eyes focused as the elevator doors opened to the twenty-eighth floor, where she had come to let Amanda know she wanted her to come work as her assistant, then she had told Daniel they could have lunch together. She just hoped this time, they could actually eat, instead of the past few 'lunches' which thanks to Daniel's libido had turned into office quickies, and left her pregnant belly still grumbling, until the delivery order Daniel would send down to her came, a few hours later. It was exciting, but seemed very strange for Betty, who still had not recovered her memory.

She smiled at Amanda, "Hey, Mandy! I have a great surprise for you. Guess what!"

"Ooh, I'm gonna marry a rich doctor and you want to introduce me to him."

"Well, I don't really know any doctors off the top of my head, but aren't they all kind of well off? Unless they're still in med school or something, I guess." Betty smiled at her 'bestie's simple, but sweet nature. "No, how would you like to come work for me at MYW as my assistant?"

"Do I still get to go into the closet and steal I mean borrow shoes? And go to Fashion Week, and get Swag? And go into the closet and BORROW clothes when I want?"

Betty rolled her eyes at each little 'and' her former enemy added to the list of her demands. "Well, I'll have to clear all that with Daniel, but if he wants sex today, I think that can be arranged, sure, Amanda! Yeah!" They hugged.

Amanda looked at her with wide eyes, "So, when do I get hooked up with this doctor you were talking about, B?"

Betty just shook her head,"Let me see what I can do. Oh, say, I know a sort of creepy orthodontist. Would that work for you?"

Amanda shrugged, "Is he rich?"

Daniel saw Betty and came out, "Betty! Hey, sweetie. I didn't remember we were having lunch now. Hang on one second, okay? Let me just finish my call." He kissed her briefly, then went back into his office.

When he came out, Betty closed her eyes, feeling light-headed. Amanda noticed and ran to her, worried about a recurrence of Betty's previous fainting spell that caused her fall. "Betty! Are you okay? DANIEL! Come here, NOW!" He abruptly ended his call and came running to see Betty start to pass out.

"Betty, are you okay?" He grabbed her and led her to her 'old chair', where she had sat as his assistant. It said, 'Prudence Meriwether.' on the nameplate at the desk. Betty blinked, opening her eyes, "Daniel, who is Prudence Meriwether?"

Amanda spoke up, "It's the eighty-year old assistant Daniel hired so you wouldn't be jealous, B. Don't you remember?"

"Amanda, Prudence isn't eighty. She's probably barely fifty. She's nice. And she does a great job. Don't be so mean. Didn't Betty tell you she wants you to be her assistant at MYW?"

"Yeah, but she said I also get free theater tickets, and as many shoes and purses as I can carry from the closet if I'm going to go work at some boring place and leave Mode behind."

Betty was awake now, "No, I didn't say all that, Mandy! You're stretching things a little. Hey, Daniel, sweetie. Did you forget today is the baby's sonogram?"

Daniel looked at her, somewhat surprised that SHE remembered. "Betty, I don't have to remind you that you're pregnant?"

"Of course not. I ought to remember. It's the same night you proposed, Daniel. At the place where Bogey proposed to Lauren Bacall."

He hugged her, "You remember me proposing? Betty, that's fantastic! I'm so happy."

He kissed her and hugged Amanda, then pushed her away, "Sorry. I'm just so happy. She actually remembers! This is awesome! What made you remember?"

She shrugged, "I have no idea, Daniel. I kind of just started getting all these weird flashes in the elevator of the day I first came to work here and how I met Dr. Frankl on the elevator on my way to that meeting where you held the door open for me, instead of me running into it, and everything just sort of clicked into place.

I'm really glad I'm here, with you, at MYW, and we're engaged and expecting, instead of me having to watch you run around with a bunch of women, then going off to London!"

He hugged her tightly, again. "Me, too! Come on, honey, let's go to our sonogram. I can't wait to see our baby!"

As they started to leave, Sofia showed up, holding the video she and Wilhelmina had doctored, combining her simply 'running into' Daniel recently on the elevator wearing the same dress she had on months earlier, when they had had their tryst there, before she and Daniel began their brief affair.

"I have something I think you're going to find very educational, Betty."

Wilhelmina and Marc stepped out of her office and came around the corner, "Betty, Daniel, Marc and I have proof that that woman not only is trying to blackmail you about the baby she orchestrated using stolen sperm from your poor father's corpse, desecrating his body, simply so she could get her hands on a share of Meade, but she took some old video footage of you and her having sex on the elevator months ago and combined it with a simple exchange of hello and goodbye to make Betty doubt your fidelity.

And finally, I have an audio tape of her confessing to pushing Betty down the stairs. Arrest that woman!"

"Why you evil bitch! You think you can double cross me? I'll get back at you, Wilhelmina Slater, you'll see!"

A week later, after agreeing to sign over control of Mode, as Alexis and Wilhelmina had discussed, Claire, Daniel, and Alexis all sat at the conference table, each signing over control of Mode to Wilhelmina Slater. Betty walked in quickly, "Wait! Don't sign that!"

Wilhelmina smiled shaking her head, "Sorry, Betty, too late. They've all already signed. Why are you in on this meeting, anyway? I know you're engaged to Daniel, and carrying his spawn, but you're not officially a Meade, yet!"

"Actually, I am. Daniel and I got married secretly a few days ago, to avoid the press. She came and sat in the empty seat next to Daniel. And I know Marc told me you don't like to admit you're old enough to need these, but I thought you might like to have them, just so you could see clearly what you just signed, _Willi_." She handed Wilhelmina the reading glasses Marc had given her out of Wilhelmina's desk.

The woman put them on, and looked at what she had just signed, "Wilhelmina Slater, Editor-in-Chief, Mode uk. UK? You're shipping me off to England?"

"Heavens, no, Willi, darling, we'd never do that! It means Ukraine!" Claire said, with her glasses on her nose, "You really should wear your glasses, dear. Embrace your age! You're only as old as you feel." She smiled, somewhat wickedly.

"MARC!"


End file.
